Life/Death Rate of Cartwright Fiancees

[Brian Cronin]

So, I've been watching Bonanza, and it is absolutely hilarious to see how deadly it can be to get engaged to one of the Cartwright brothers. The show lasted 14 seasons (6 of which had all three brothers in it) and none of them got married.

So I figured it'd be fun to show what happened to all the various fiancees of the Cartwright brothers.

EDITED TO ADD: When I say "fiancee," I'm using it as a rough substitute for "love interest," as essentially any serious love interest for the guys were, in effect, fiancees (as that was how it worked back then). Some were specifically stated to be fiancees, while others were more understood to be fiancees (if you were an adult and you were "going steady" in 1860s Nevada, you were basically engaged - Little Joe was younger, so he has to specifically mention marriage for me to count him as engaged).

Enjoy!

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 3, "The Newcomers," has Hoss get engaged to a dying woman (he doesn't know she is dying).

She dies off-stage.

Adam:
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 6, "The Julia Bulette Story," has Little Joe get engaged (maybe not officially, but basically engaged) to the famous madam. She is murdered.

Adam:
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 11, "The Truckee Strip," has Little Joe fall in love with the daughter of one of Ben Cartwright's rivals. The man's evil foreman tries to rape her. Joe saves her and kills the bad guy, but in the fight, she is accidentally killed.

Adam:
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
2 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 14, "The Sisters," has Adam engaged (he might not have officially proposed yet, but it was implied) to a young woman who has a bad reputation. A crooked sheriff who has the hots for the girl tries to murder Adam, but misses and kills the woman instead (then frames Adam for her murder).

Adam:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
2 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 31, "Dark Star," has a gypsy woman who would marry Joe, but then her fellow gypsies (who thought she was a witch) decide to accept her, so she chooses them over Joe. The first love interest NOT to die! Woohoo!

Adam:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 37, "The Hopefuls," has Adam basically convert to Quakerism to be with a beautiful Quaker girl. However, he is forced to use violence to save the group of religious settlers and it means their relationship is over.

Adam:
2 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 38, "Denver McGee," has Joe get engaged with the cultured daughter of one of the Cartwright's neighbors, who they find has turned to crime to help pay to keep his daughter living the life of luxury she has grown used to. After the Cartwrights stop (and ultimately kill) her father, she goes back East, not knowing what to do next and not willing to marry Joe anymore (although she still loves him).

Adam:
2 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
4 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 44, "The Savage," has Adam get engaged to a white woman who was raised by a tribe. She must return to her tribe, though, to save Adam's life.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
1 fiancee/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
4 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 48, "The Courtship," has Hoss get engaged to a woman just using him for his money. He finally discovers it, but only after she has taken the Cartwrights for something like $20,000.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
2 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Little Joe:
4 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 82, "The Tall Stranger," has Hoss engaged to a woman who breaks the engagement to marry a more worldly man, who then dumps her after he takes her money and leaves her alone and pregnant. She dies in childbirth. I think this counts.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees
Little Joe:
4 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 83, "The Lady from Baltimore," has Joe engaged to a girl whose mother is pushing the marriage even though the girl doesn't love Joe. She's doing this because their family wants the Cartwright's money. Adam uncovers the scheme and the engagement is broken.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees
Little Joe:
5 fiancees/2 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 85, "The Storm," has Joe engaged to a dying girl who, well, you know, dies.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees
Little Joe:
6 fiancees/3 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 107, "The War Comes To Washoe," where Little Joe is engaged to the daughter of a Confederate sympathizer. When their attempts to get Nevada to join the Confederacy fails, they leave the area and Little Joe is heartbroken (he voted for Statehood as a delegate).

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees
Little Joe:
7 fiancees/3 dead fiancees

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

Episode 122, "The Actress," where Joe falls in love with an actress with delusions of becoming a dramatic star. When she fails to find success, she agrees to marry Joe. However, she turns out to be a fine COMEDIC actress, and Joe realizes she belongs to the stage and they break their engagement.

Adam:
3 fiancees/1 dead fiancee
Hoss:
3 fiancees/2 dead fiancees
Little Joe:
8 fiancees/3 dead fiancees

-Brian