Ep 10. The Great Safe Robbery

In the second season of the classic Western TV show, The Big Valley, episode 10 titled "The Great Safe Robbery" centers around a hazardous situation at the Barkley family's bank.

The episode begins with an ordinary day at the Barkley Bank in Stockton, California, until a group of bandits, led by the notorious outlaw Gambler, enter the bank with the intention of robbing the Barkley's valuable safe. The gang holds all of the bank employees and customers hostage, including Audra Barkley, who was at the bank to deposit a significant amount of money. The gang of bandits also seizes audra's money as well as everyone else's.

Meanwhile, the Barkley boys, Heath, Nick, and Jarrod, receive word of the robbery and why they realize that Audra is still inside the bank. Heath takes charge of the situation and puts together a plan to rescue Audra and the other hostages. He convinces the local sheriff to play along with the robbers to buy them time to get to the bank and formulate a strategy to save everyone.

Heath disguises himself as one of the bandits and sneaks into the bank through an old tunnel. He manages to find out where the safe is located and how the bandits plan on getting away with the money. With this information, the Barkleys and the sheriff are able to create a successful diversion and ambush the robbers.

During the chaos of the robbery, Audra and another young woman, Jenny, forge a connection, and they both prove that they're capable of handling themselves in a dangerous situation. Alongside Audra and Jenny, they take down one of the bandits who wasn't too smart to hold up a lamp as it revealed his face to the Barkley's men at a time when he thought everything was going in his favor.

In this thrilling episode, fans get to witness the daring heroics of the Barkley family as they use their cunning and bravery to save the day. The episode's exciting events offer a great showcase for the show's talented cast, featuring Barbara Stanwyck as the matriarch of the Barkley family, Victoria Barkley, and Lee Majors as the strong-willed and capable Heath Barkley. "The Great Safe Robbery" is a standout episode that exemplifies all the reasons why The Big Valley is a beloved classic among Western television shows.