Ep 2. The Healing Woman

The Healing Woman is the second episode of the second season of the Western TV series Wanted: Dead or Alive, which originally aired in 1959. The series follows the adventures of bounty hunter Josh Randall (played by Steve McQueen) as he travels the Old West, capturing criminals for the reward money.

In this episode, Josh comes across a group of people gathered around a campfire in the wilderness. They are waiting for a woman named Lottie who is known for her healing abilities. Lottie (played by Anne Helm) is a young woman who claims to have the powers to cure any ailment with her touch and her herbs.

The people waiting for Lottie have various illnesses and injuries, and they are all hoping that she can help them. Josh notices that one of the men waiting for Lottie is a fugitive he has been tracking. He decides to let the man go and wait for Lottie to arrive, hoping to use her to his advantage in catching the fugitive.

When Lottie finally arrives, Josh introduces himself to her and offers to help her set up her camp. She invites Josh to join her for dinner, and he agrees. Over dinner, Lottie tells Josh that she learned her healing skills from her mother, who was a Cherokee medicine woman.

The next morning, one of the men who was waiting for Lottie is found dead. Josh suspects that the man's death may have been caused by the remedies Lottie gave him. He begins to investigate Lottie's methods and learns that she has been giving the same herbs to everyone, regardless of their ailment.

As Josh continues to investigate, he finds evidence that Lottie's mother was not a Cherokee medicine woman as she claimed, but was actually a white woman who ran a traveling medicine show. He confronts Lottie with this information and accuses her of being a fraud.

Lottie denies the accusation and tells Josh that she truly believes that she has the power to heal people. She invites Josh to watch her heal a young girl who has been sick for weeks. Josh agrees to watch, but tells Lottie that he will also be watching closely to make sure she doesn't harm the girl.

As Lottie begins to work her healing magic on the young girl, Josh notices that there is something different about her touch. He starts to question his own beliefs and wonders if Lottie really does have some kind of special power.

The episode ends with Josh catching the fugitive he was after, but also leaving Lottie to continue her work as a healer. He tells her that he still doesn't know if she is a fraud or not, but that he has seen enough to believe that there is something special about her.

Overall, The Healing Woman is a thought-provoking episode that explores the themes of faith, belief, and healing. It also showcases Steve McQueen's charm and acting skills, as he injects his character with his signature coolness and intensity. The episode is well-written and well-acted, and it remains an entertaining watch for fans of classic Western TV shows.