learychristine

This is absolutely my favorite episode! Charles Cioffi plays Shanklin, a Confederate officer trying to rob the Ponderosa when Hoss is shot, then held hostage. Critically wounded, the local doctor is summoned and faced with the only option available with his limited skills, and prepares to amputate a leg. Shanklin turns out to be a skilled surgeon who becomes frustrated with the doctor's ineptitude, and compelled to utilize his superior skills.

Although the story line is a good one, it's Cioffi's outstanding performance as an angry victim of injustice whose powerful personality towers over Ben Cartwright's.