valley's ranchers and farmers are being forced off of their lands by the
railroad.
They turn to the sons of Tom Barkley, who was killed six years earlier
in a similar dispute with the railroad, for advice and support.
Nick, who prefers action, is eager to stand and fight with them but Jarrod,
a lawyer, wants to wait until the following day to get an injunction to stop
the takeover. Eugene, the youngest son, is torn between both of his older
brothers and remains undecided.
That night men hired by the railroad set fire to the home of one of the
men who refused to leave his property. The decision is made and event-
ually all three of Tom Barkley's sons unite with the valley in fighting
the railroad.
THE RAILROAD.
internal conflict. A young man arrives on the property seeking employ-
ment.
Nick is pressured to hire him by Jarrod but he doesn't trust the new
hand, he suspects he might be a hired gun for the railroad. That night
he confronts him and, following a fist fight, the new arrival informs him
that he is Tom Barkley's "bastard son."
AT THEIR FATHER'S GRAVE
SIDE, ONLY HEATH KNOWS
THAT THEY ARE RELATED.
THE TRUTH, HEATH MEETS ALL
THREE OF HIS BROTHERS.
believe his story. Jarrod offers him money, which he refuses and he leaves
the ranch.
Audra and Victoria both overhear the conversation. Audra follows him to
town and, later, as he escorts her home they see the burning homestead.
Heath rides away before seeing his brothers take a stand.
He returns to the Barkley ranch and takes the money Jarrod had originally
offered him. Victoria finds him as he is about to leave and tells him that no
one has the right to take away his birthright, that he should fight for what
is his.
Apparently taking her words to heart he joins the fight at the Sample farm
the next morning and begins his journey to becoming a member of the
family.
HIS BIRTHRIGHT WITH HIS
SISTER AT THE HOTEL.
HE JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST THE
RAILROAD WITH HIS BROTHERS.
TO HEATH AFTER THE
GUNFIGHT IS OVER.
SHARE THEIR FIRST
MEAL TOGETHER
ducing Jarrod and Nick's individual personalities, which were retained
throughout the series.
Heath and Audra's personalities changed drastically from this episode com-
pared to later episodes.
Heath's change was understandable. He arrived at the ranch as a young
man that had been born and reared out of wedlock. He was angry and re-
sentful but as he began to become a part of the Barkley family that part of
his personality subsided, as it should have.
Audra started out to be fiery and somewhat willful but by the end of the
first season she had become little more than window dressing.
Victoria, now what a change we saw in her personality! In this episode she
merely breezed into the scenes gave a few words of wisdom then breezed
out again. Certainly not the powerful, dominating presence that she be-
came in later episodes.
Palms of Glory also showed Stockton to be much more rowdy and violent
than in all other episodes. It conveyed a feeling that Stockton was little
more than a wild, ruthless town.
Now, as to the plot, they left so many things hanging in this episode!
After the farmers and ranchers defeated the hired gunmen, that was all
we ever saw or heard of the railroad. Surely, those in power wouldn't
have given up so easily just because a handful of men won a small victory!
So what happened?
My biggest complaint, however, concerns the issue of how Heath was
accepted into the family. The final scene shows the family gathered
around the breakfast table the morning after the gun battle while Nick
rants and raves about the new family member before Heath enters the
room.
When he again questions the validity of Heath's story, Victoria alludes
to it being "settled last night." What the heck is that about? So, they
had an apparent discussion with Heath present the night before and it
was decided that Heath was a Barkley.
Would have been nice if this alluded to scene had actually been written
and performed. I would have liked to hear each family members reasons
for believing that Tom Barkley had fathered Heath, especially Victoria's!
pant leg tears down the outside thigh during his tussle
with Audra next to their father's grave. Later, when he
arrives at the house, the rip has disappeared.
young man." He shares the screen equally with others in this
episode.