New Boone sidekick Josh Clements (Jimmy Dean) is townside and falls into a quarrel with Irish trapper Ephron Marsh (Sean McClory). He retaliates by outbidding Marsh for fetching blonde indentured servant Sarah (Brooke Bundy), and both head to Boonesborough with Marsh on their heels.
Season 5's "Daniel Boone" debut shows a number of series changes perhaps not to be the taste of aficionados. The theme song is changed to a boy-band lite rock rendering, Fess Parker continues to head out of the stories and behind the camera when he can, and the stories continue to tilt away from adventure and toward comedy and human interest. As war in Vietnam continued to engulf the news, NBC likely told the writers to tone down the flintlock action.
Country singer Dean in this hour starts as a semi-regular on the show, and is adequate as the protesting confirmed bachelor; his musical talent is given a due outing. Unlikely that in real life Josh could resist the charms of the fetching Bundy, who acquired a fair number of 1960's guest star shots and culminated her career in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" horror film series. Irish character actor McClory does not have to stretch far to portray the roughneck frontiersman who wants the beauty beyond his reach, but he exits early.
But McClory is more boor than sinister threat, which makes the hour largely comedic. Daniel is mostly backdrop, and there is an abundant serving of Becky and Israel's natterings. The Josh character is quickly written into the sidekick corner; he would rather be enjoyong outdoors life rather than romancing, and he has to provide the requisite screw-ups so the leading man can be the voice of reason. Not much history in the hour either; the indentured servant angle gets little exploration.
Redcoat report: two, uniformed as the Royal Americans. They are guarding the indentured servant market, unlikely during the 1770's.
The addition of Josh and Sarah - if we have to
settle for more around-the-fort stories - would have added an interesting couple counterpart to Daniel and Becky's suburban-perfect marriage, but that would have been too much of a series disruption for 1968. A follow-the-dots hour mainly redeemed by Bundy's alluring presence.
