"My Son, My Son"
(Original air date 11/03/65)
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Infatuated, the son of neighbours attempts to force himself on Audra
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Writer: Paul Schneider
Director: Paul Henreid
A party is given in honor of Audra's nineteenth birthday. Suitors take turn dancing with the lovely guest of honor, while Nick gets his fair share of the cake.
Victoria welcomes neighbours and long-time friends Wallace (R.G. Armstrong) and Jenny Miles (Katharine Bard) and their son Evan (Robert Walker Jr.) who has just returned from college.
When Evan is mesmerized by childhood friend Audra's enchanting beauty, his father encourages to ask her to dance. Wallace is happy for Evan, but Jenny worries about his mental instability that is bound to stir up trouble.
Nick asks Jenny to dance while Jarrod strikes up a conversation with Wallace. He's slightly disturbed by the father's relaxed attitude about his son dropping out of college, even more so when Wally sets his sights on Audra as the perfect woman to tame the wild beast within Evan.
Audra asks Evan to fetch her some punch while she waits for him out in the veranda. When an innocent kiss inflames Evan to the point of forcing himself on her, she screams, alerting Heath who lunges at Evan with fists flying. Outraged, Wally throws the blame on Audra for seducing his son.
Later after the party, Audra confesses to her mother that perhaps she should shoulder some of the blame for what occurred. In some way, she did lead Evan on. She wonders whether or not she should apologize for her bold move.
The next day, Victoria drops by the Miles' ranch to discuss the awkward situation. Wallace agrees with Victoria that Audra might have gone too far. She remains calm at Wallace's snide remark about Heath's impetuousness, and stresses the fact that he only wanted to protect his sister. Before the conversation degenerates into an ugly scene, she leaves.
Jenny is convinced Victoria is given them the benefit of the doubt. She feels last night's incident was merely the tip of the iceberg, the beginning of more trouble to come. She urges Wallace to have a serious conversation with Evan to avoid a repetition.
On the range, Nick and Heath come across a tainted water hole. Nick rides back to get a few hands to cordon off the area while Heath rides on with the thirsty poneys. He's puzzled to find a barbed wire fence and a 'No Trespassing' sign blocking his route. Next to it Evan, mounts guard and argues that the two ranches divide here.
As Heath starts cutting down the fence, Evan picks up his rifle and fires a few shots into the air to scare the horses away, but Heath manages to hold on to Charger. Incensed, Heath lunges at Evan and smacks him down in the dirt, warning him to be out of sight when he returns with the horses.
Later, Audra rides up to the Miles' ranch to beg Evan to drop the criminal charges against Heath. Evan infuriates her when he admits sarcastically that Heath should be thankful he went to the sheriff instead of shooting him. Therefore he refuses to apologize for his actions.
Wallace is somewhat outraged by Evan's assumption that Audra came by to cajole him into a trap.
A ranch hand (Gene Pinkerton) rides up to inform them that three of the Barkley cows have crossed over to their land. They both mount up and go help the hands mend the broken fence.
They all grab their rifles when they hear the sound of approaching hooves. Despite Nick's warning, Wallace is determined to keep the cows. The brothers dismounted and slowly but confidently march toward the men shooting at the feet.
When the warning shots fail, Evan angrily aims at Heath, hitting him in the arm. Wallace is appalled. He only meant to scare the brothers, not hurt them. He turns to his men and demands to know the identity of the shooter. All, including Evan, remain silent.
Back at the ranch, Nick's ready to go on the warpath for what the Miles did to Heath. Victoria reasons with her enraged son that violence never solves anything and that she will not have any more bloodshed. He reluctantly yields to his mother's wishes.
At the Miles', Jenny suspects Evan was responsible for Heath's injury. When Wallace questions Evan, the boy tries to convince him that Heath could have been hit by a ricochet bullet.
Wallace is anxious to put an end to the war between the two families and therefore proposes to Evan to take a short trip. Evan is peeved by his father's suggestion that he's the cause of all this trouble and that he can't wait to get rid of him.
Evan plies himself with liquor and follows Audra back to the Barkley ranch, where he hides in the barn. When she unsaddles her horse, he surprises her. He breaks Heath's medicine flask and forces himself on her.
Victoria walks in on Evan throttling Audra. She vainly tries to pry his hands away from her daughter's neck. Desperate, Victoria grabs a rifle and pleas with Evan once more to let Audra go before she guns him down.
Later, as Evan's body is carried out of the barn, the sheriff (Mort Mills) asks for a deposition. Wallace openly accuses Victoria of coldblooded murder and Audra for luring his son into a trap.
To avoid a public inquest, Jarrod reveals interesting facts that he's managed to dig up on Evan's criminal past, and lists some of the arrests that Wallace attempts to dismiss as inconsequential.
Jenny urges her husband to stop covering the truth. They both knew about Evan's mental disorder, but had swept it under the rug, wanting to give their son a chance to make amends.
The next day, Eugene (Charles Briles), Nick, Jarrod and Victoria return to the ranch to inform Heath and Audra that the public prosecutor has ruled in favor of a justifiable homicide.
Audra still has trouble understanding the reason that drove the Miles to keep Evan's illness under wrap for so long. Victoria is quick to point out that when your child is in trouble, you defend him without hesitation, just as she did for her.
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