The Big Valley/Down Shadow Street

Down Shadow Street
Season 2, Episode 19
Airdate	January 23, 1967
Written by	Ken Trevey
Directed by	Virgil W. Vogel
← 2x18 Boy Into Man	2x20 → The Stallion
The Big Valley — Season Two

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Down Shadow Street is the nineteenth episode of the second season of The Big Valley, and the forty-ninth episode overall.

Starring: Richard Long (Jarrod Barkley), Peter Breck (Nick Barkley), Lee Majors (Heath), Linda Evans (Audra Barkley)

and Starring: Miss Barbara Stanwyck (Victoria Barkley)

Guest Stars: Robert Middleton (Judge Tyrone), Dan Ferrone (Buddy Tyrone), Vic Perrin (Albert Pruitt), Dee J. Thompson (Miss Alice), Kam Tong (Wing Lee), Amzie Strickland (Beanie), James Gavin (Sheriff), Sam Reese (Ollie Patten), Joann Pflug (Ruthie Murphy), Robert Adler (Stage Driver)

Plot Overview

Victoria witnesses her godson Buddy Tyrone, the son of a prominent judge, murder a saloon girl and then flee the scene of the crime. After Victoria tells Jarrod what happened, they and Sheriff Madden pay a visit to the Tyrone house to tell the judge about the incident. Judge Tyrone refuses to believe what happened and accuses Victoria of being "unhinged" while Buddy himself denies committing the murder, but the Barkley matriarch is sure of what she saw. Even after Buddy later privately admits to the crime to his father, Judge Tyrone sets out to abuse his power of office to protect him from facing the hangman's noose by starting a public smear campaign, falsely accusing Victoria of mental instability in an attempt to discredit her.

An unscrupulous newspaper reporter later visits the Barkley ranch and harasses Victoria by echoing Judge Tyrone's comments, forcing Heath to forcibly evict the sleazy reporter. Judge Tyrone, with help from his houseboy Wing Lee, then has Victoria drugged, kidnapped and committed to an insane asylum to keep her from testifying against Buddy. When Jarrod and Nick learn of their mother's disappearance, they set out to find her and force a confession from Wing Lee to learn the truth about the judge's hand in the disappearance, while Victoria successfully plots an escape attempt from the asylum and is pursued by the corrupt judge. During a chase through a mine on the asylum grounds, Jarrod and Nick, now joined by Buddy, try to stop Judge Tyrone, who shoots at Victoria but mistakenly hits Buddy instead, fatally wounding his son. Realizing the consequence of his actions, Tyrone throws himself at the law's mercy while Victoria returns home to the ranch.