11 Great HGWT Episodes

11 Great Have Gun – Will Travel Episodes

Paladin at work

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Below are the 11 episodes that, in my opinion, define the character, Paladin, and the theme of the show. They are not presented in any particular order, but they represent a small sampling of the high quality writing and acting performances that made this show a joy to watch.

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1.  The Man Who Lost – Paladin is determined to get a man to trial for murder, when he is forced to defend his prisoner against the family of a woman his prisoner supposedly raped. Directed by Ida Lupino. Look for a great performance from Jack Elam as the woman’s brother-in-law. (Season 2)

2.  Episode in Laredo – Paladin is forced to fight a gunfighter after he is forced to kill the gunfighter’s sidekick. Written by Gene Roddenberry. (Season 3)

3.  One Came Back – After being in prison for five years, a man hires Paladin to make sure he gets back to his home town. Wonderful performances from Strother Martin and James Coburn. Written by Bruce Geller. (Season 3)

4.  The Night the Town Died – A town hires Paladin to protect it from a man whose brother the town wrongly lynched. Directed by Richard Boone(Season 3)

5.  A Quiet Night in Town – The only two part episode in the series. Town’s people take Paladin’s prisoner away from him and murder the man. Paladin seeks justice for his prisoner. Look for Sidney Pollack and James Best in this episode along with a fantastic supporting performance by Robert Emhardt. (Season 4)

6.  Fandango – Paladin and a sheriff are on the trail of two young killers who escaped from jail. But so is the gunslinger brother of the man they killed. Directed by Richard Boone. (Season 4)

7.  The Tender Gun – Paladin helps a female sheriff reclaim her town. Jeanette Nolan as the sheriff makes this an episode worth watching. (Season 4)

8.  Ben Jalisco – A murderer escapes prison to seek vengeance on his wife for informing on him and on Paladin for capturing him in the first place. Stars Charles Bronson. (Season 5)

9.  Squatter’s Rights – Paladin agrees to pay off a Civil War debt of honor by driving homesteaders off the land of a ruthless cattle baron. Our hero discovers that even honor has a price. A thought provoking show about doing what’s right. (Season 5)

10.  The Hanging of Aaron Gibbs – A Black woman wants a chance to say goodbye to her husband, who has been sentenced to hang. She hires Paladin to escort her to the hanging as well as bring his body home for burial. Stars the folk singer and civil rights activist, Odetta. Directed by Richard Boone. (Season 5)

11. Genesis – How the Man in Black came to be. Written by series creator, Sam Rolfe. Directed by William Conrad (Cannon). (Season 6)

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4 comments

  1. Thanks for the best-of list–even I find it a bit tiring to wade through all the mediocre Paladins looking for the gems–but could you help us by indicating which seasons these 11 episodes appeared in?

    • Thanks for the suggestion. I have added season information at the end of the synopsis. Doing so made me realize that I don’t have any season 1 episodes on the list. However, I’ve decided not to change this listing because while there are some very good season 1 episodes (No Visitors, Heyboy’s Revenge, The Long Night), the 11 listed (to me) define Paladin’s character best.

      Again, thanks for reading!

  2. Do you know if there is a HGWT fan fiction page or site? I can’t find one. Even Fanfic.net only has crossovers for HGWT.

    Thank you

    • Thanks for reading… 🙂

      Off-hand, I’m not aware of any sites specifically dedicated to HGWT fan fiction. I think it’s a shame that there isn’t one, but this is such a niche show that’s been off the air for almost 50 years; it’s hard for it to attract a audience large enough to attract a writing fan base familiar with the character.

      That said, if you come across one, would you drop me a line and I’ll add it to the site. Thanks…and again thanks for reading.

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