I know that in an interview, I believe with Johnny Carson, Mike had made his distaste for the pilot known. I can see in some ways the cringe of some scenes. I did appreciate the fact that David had incorporated a real figure from that time with introducing Lotta Crabtree and fixing her real life counterpart into the story. 
 

The characters are a bit of a far cry from the men we know and love in later episodes, but I think most series pilots are like that. Most characters are worked and fleshed out as a series progresses. I love the last scene with all four riding out as portrayed in Remington’s famous statue. 

8 hours ago, Lorne's Gal said:

I know that in an interview, I believe with Johnny Carson, Mike had made his distaste for the pilot known. I can see in some ways the cringe of some scenes. I did appreciate the fact that David had incorporated a real figure from that time with introducing Lotta Crabtree and fixing her real life counterpart into the story. 
 

The characters are a bit of a far cry from the men we know and love in later episodes, but I think most series pilots are like that. Most characters are worked and fleshed out as a series progresses. I love the last scene with all four riding out as portrayed in Remington’s famous statue. 

 

I know exactly what you're talking about.  Look at Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I want to cringe when re-watching 'Encounter at Farpoint' (the pilot).  The 'over acting' and looking at how weak Worf appeared compared to his later iterations, shivers.  But when it first aired, I was thrilled to watch and hung on every episode.  Thankfully the crew matured and became comfortable with their characters as the series progressed.

14 hours ago, Lorne's Gal said:

I know that in an interview, I believe with Johnny Carson, Mike had made his distaste for the pilot known. I can see in some ways the cringe of some scenes.

 

I saw an interview with Lorne, where they played a clip from Bonanza and picked The Rose For Lotta.  Poor Lorne's face.  He called it, "The worst pilot ever."  

 

Fortunately, there was just enough of 'the good stuff' in that pilot to keep people coming back for more.

 

On 1/3/2020 at 7:03 PM, indiana said:

they're rude and ill-mannered. I think the actors play very badly, they're too caricatural.
There is only Mike Landon who is good at it, and whose character is already well drawn (he looks like what he will be afterwards: mischievous, loving women, clever).
I don't like the image that Hoss has: an idiot, strong, but stupid (which fortunately will change later).

But Adam (I don't like his personality in this episode) is very handsome, so I can forgive him  

This episode looks like a test, and happy the characters softened after this one.

I didn't like Adam in this either. He comes across as a douchebag. He insults Joe's mother, starts an argument and then a fight, he won't accept Joe's apology (even though it's not Joe's fault), he's rude to Lotta and holds a gun on her even though she's not armed and all the others have put their guns away. At that point he didn't know she was up to no good - she was just a woman. Then he takes it upon himself to kinda take over and lift her on Joe's horse. Boy, he was a CREEP. As the series progressed, he became much, much nicer, and I was so pleased they decided to make him into a good man. I never really understood the ending. It's like they'd been at each other's throats - he'd threatened her, she'd tried to slap him - and they did not part on good terms. Then he suddenly gazes at her longingly and kisses her. I can only think he'd worked out that she'd regretted her actions and had decided to help Little Joe get away.

I’m not a fan of this episode at all, for many of the reasons already listed, however, I do find a few sections quite funny and worth quoting often (and I do. XD) For instance, I love how they’re all just having a good time, and then Joe sees the carriage and immediately shouts something like, “Hey! Who’s that trespassing on the Ponderosa?!?” XD And Hoss and Adam’s exchange always makes me laugh, too: 

Hoss: “If I don’t get something to eat, I’m gonna lay down and die!”

Adam: “Well, before anyone lays down and dies, there’s work to be done.”

 

All in all, I’m so glad they changed the personalities of Adam and Hoss (and toned down Ben’s huge sideburns! Oh my gosh… XD)

6 minutes ago, HarpistforHim said:

I’m not a fan of this episode at all, for many of the reasons already listed, however, I do find a few sections quite funny and worth quoting often (and I do. XD) For instance, I love how they’re all just having a good time, and then Joe sees the carriage and immediately shouts something like, “Hey! Who’s that trespassing on the Ponderosa?!?” XD And Hoss and Adam’s exchange always makes me laugh, too: 

Hoss: “If I don’t get something to eat, I’m gonna lay down and die!”

Adam: “Well, before anyone lays down and dies, there’s work to be done.”

 

All in all, I’m so glad they changed the personalities of Adam and Hoss (and toned down Ben’s huge sideburns! Oh my gosh… XD)

Two great scenes. 

Yes, Ben's sideburns and his loud voice. Like Hop Sing said, "Why all time yell? Make head go boom, boom, boom." (Don't think this is all from ARFL but he makes his point). 

6 minutes ago, AC1830 said:

Two great scenes. 

Yes, Ben's sideburns and his loud voice. Like Hop Sing said, "Why all time yell? Make head go boom, boom, boom." (Don't think this is all from ARFL but he makes his point). 

Oh goodness! Yes, I forgot how loud and booming Ben used to be! XD Hop Sing was definitely right about that one! XD

The pilot was pretty poor,Showing everyone in bad taste.I hate Hoss's boots and how they made him look like a country bumpkin.Like I say Adam can get away with blue murder  even though he was rude.

Adam: I know Pernell Roberts was unhappy playing Adam. However, I disagree with his reasoning. Adam  may be a thirtyish teenager, but he is a very nuanced character-whether this was intentional or not. He is his father's right-hand man but he is kind of a daddy's boy.

Continued- Adam also serves as Ben's de facto spouse/governess/nanny-i.e. telling Little Joe to stand still when he is talking to him.

9 hours ago, Dana said:

Continued- Adam also serves as Ben's de facto spouse/governess/nanny-i.e. telling Little Joe to stand still when he is talking to him.

The character of Adam was a strong character and Pernell brought him along nicely. In the early shows, Adam was the 'second Pa', showing how much he helped to raise Joe. He corrected Joe, reined him in, stepped in to get him out of trouble...you get the picture. Later he began to shift to mentor with his calmer reactions than Pa would have had. 

Re Lotta and Joe: Joe was about 17, but I seriously doubt Lotta was his first-er trip to the rodeo.

 

Re Adam and Lotta: I found Adam's comment about going for the man instead of the boy hilariously ironic. The age difference between Michael Landon and Yvonne De Carlo was roughly the same as the age difference between Pernell and his first wife.

 

Re Adam and Joe: Considering that Adam's mother died in childbirth, Joe's snide remark about Adam's mother having "whelped" him was really hitting below the belt.

18 hours ago, Dana said:

 

Re Adam and Joe: Considering that Adam's mother died in childbirth, Joe's snide remark about Adam's mother having "whelped" him was really hitting below the belt.

In Lotta I don't think we knew how any of the mothers died, but it was still a rather vulgar remark.  But from the writer's perspective hey, it's episode one -- let's just see what's gonna fly. Later we can forget whatever we want to...

18 hours ago, Dana said:

 

Re Adam and Joe: Considering that Adam's mother died in childbirth, Joe's snide remark about Adam's mother having "whelped" him was really hitting below the belt.

Agree with JC.  The writers and Dortort May have been trying out farmer/rancher Vernacular.  Much like they have Ben spouting Bible talk like “feast thine eyes” and “hellfire and “brimstone!”

 

None of the pilot episode language should be taken seriously or used to define a character’s actions or intent.

@Cheaux and @JC*, Thank you for your comments. Maybe, Ben is supposed to be going through a cabin-fever-induced mid-life crisis sort of male menopause thing. He did not talk about hell-fire and brimstone in the flashback-my-love episodes. You made me think of something else, too. A Rose for Lotta was made more-or-less six years after Lucy and Desi, who were then married in real life, could not say "pregnant" on television. However, Joe was able to  describe Adam as being "whelped'.

 

Yvonne de Carlo was beautiful but I always felt she was miscast. Too old! Adam was pretty steamy but I can't imagine him attracted to her.

5 hours ago, kathym said:

Yvonne de Carlo was beautiful but I always felt she was miscast. Too old! Adam was pretty steamy but I can't imagine him attracted to her.

Interesting thought. She was definitely too old for Little Joe as he was 19 at the time. 😀

46 minutes ago, AC1830 said:

Interesting thought. She was definitely too old for Little Joe as he was 19 at the time. 😀

Joe aimed for the stars....

<wink>

Can't fault a fella for tryin'....