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Season 1, Episode 2 -
An evangelist preacher, Miss Essie Bright, is travelling to Laramie along with her piano, when Roany Bishop approaches her asking for a ride, as he wants to see his friend Jess Harper who lives there. Essie needs a piano player and after Roany lies saying he can play, she agrees to take him along.
When Essie and Roany arrive at the Sherman Ranch, Jess sees Roany, and immediately shuts the ranch house door so that Roany will not see him.
Jess clearly does not want to encounter Roany and asks Andy to lie by telling Roany that Jess has moved on.
Slim hears Andy lying to Roany, and after Essie and Roany leave he questions Andy. Andy tells him that Jess wanted him to lie, but it was only a small lie. Slim is angered by this and tells Andy there is no such thing as a small lie.
Slim subsequently challenges Jess about this and Jess refuses to explain, but when pushed he says that Roany once saved his life. While they are talking Roany suddenly returns, saying Essie’s wagon broke down just up the road and he wants to know if Slim can help. This time Jess cannot avoid him and tells Roany he has only come back to pick up some gear and then he is moving on.
Roany insists that Jess goes to Laramie with him and while Jess clearly does not want, to he reluctantly agrees. This puzzles Slim but he does not question Jess’ decision. Andy thinks Jess is scared of Roany and that is why he is doing what he wants.
Jonesy also joins the caravan as Roany convinces Essie that Jonesy is a better piano planer. On their way to Laramie, they are passed by a stagecoach, and Roany, driving the wagon and showing his lack of mental stability is enraged and chases it recklessly, thinking the stagecoach passengers were mocking Miss Essie. Jess, riding alongside, stops the wagon which results in Roany attacking him. Finally Roany calms down and returns to his senses. Eventually they all arrive safely in Laramie.
Miss Essie convinces the saloon keeper to let her use the saloon for one hour on Sundays as a menacing Roany looks on. Jess explains to Jonesy how Roany saved his life and later served time in jail for beating up a saloon girl who simply laughed at Roany. Jonesy guesses that Jess did not want remain at the Ranch risking Roany staying on and being a danger to Slim, Andy and himself.
With the piano successfully moved into the saloon, Roany demands Jonsey play a hymn for Essie. As Jess and Roany have a drink together across the street, an ever delusional Roany says he thinks Essie has taken a shine to him, and counts her and Jess as his “friends”. When Jess says he is moving on, Ronay escalates the conversation into an angry confrontation with Jess, saying Jess owes him something and should be willing to do just about anything for him. When Ronay reenters the saloon where Essie is singing with the patrons, the singers stop and Roany becomes agitated demanding the singing resume. Essie tries to calm him down, asking him to play the piano just for her. Scared that Essie would discover he cannot actually play, he leaves. Outside, Roany is more and more agitated, and retrieves the brass knuckles/gun hidden up his sleeve and uses them to crush his hand to avoid playing. Telling Essie a horse stepped on his hand, he gets sympathy and a bandage from Essie and suggests she stay in Laramie. Later, Roany overhears Essie telling Jonesy and Jess she may not stay in Laramie. Roany leaves before he hears her say she will travel on. A deluded Roany awakens Jess in his hotel asking him to find him a ranch for him and Essie, reminding Jess the favor he owes him.
At the Sunday sermon, Essie tells the congregation she has the love of God for everyone and will continue to travel and spread her message. Saying that can’t be, an enraged Roany violently disrupts the service with gunshots and accosts Essie, smashing the piano in the process. Jess manages to rescue Essie, but Roany gets Jess at gunpoint. Essie, rifle in hand, orders Roany to stop, but Roany, finally losing his mind, dares Essie to shoot him. When she lowers the rifle, Roany takes aim at Jess. Thinking quickly Jonsey distracts Roany and Jess shoots him.
Jonesy returns to the ranch without Jess and after one week they have had no word from Jess. After being out Slim Jonesy and Andy return to the ranch and while Slim and Jonesy are talking about the possibility Jess will not return they hear the soudd of a piano coming from the ranch house. When they go inside they find Jess with Essie’s piano fully repaired. Jonesy is baffled as he did not believe it could ever be fixed. Jess explains he got it repaired in Laramie and it nw belonged to Jomesy -
Eddie Albert
as Roany Bishop
Nanette Fabray
as Essie Bright