How the West Was Won

The Macahans, a family from Virginia, headed by Zeb Macahan, travel across the country to pioneer a new land and a new home in the American West.

Genre: Drama, Western

Cast:James Arness , Bruce Boxleitner , Kathryn Holcomb , William Kirby Cullen , Vicki Schreck , Fionnula Flanagan , Warren J. Kemmerling , Pat Petersen , Joshua Gallegos , Ivan Naranjo , Michael Conrad , Ed Lauter , Harris Yulin , James Almanzar , Peter Hansen , Elyssa Davalos , Kay Lenz , Jared Martin

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Buffalo Story

Sun, Feb 12, 1978

Kate Macahan's sister, Molly Culhane, joins the family. A Mormon family arrives at the homestead while fleeing religious persecution, but the patriarch soon charms Laura. Zeb mediates between the Army and the angry Sioux after a Russian royalty kills a buffalo on Sioux land. Luke aids a local sheriff and meets his feisty daughter.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Mormon Story

Sun, Feb 19, 1978

Zeb sides with the Sioux after the Russian incident triggers a war - and the clash leads to a great leader's sacrifice. Luke's feelings for Hillary Gant intensify, but when her father learns of Luke's past, he asks Luke to leave. Laura accepts a marriage proposal, while Luke finds himself forced to join a thieving band of ex-Confederates.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Interlude

Sun, Feb 26, 1978

Luke's attempt to foil the Flint gang's gold robbery scheme doesn't go as planned. Zeb rescues a woman from two hide-cutters and is surprised to find a love from his past. When a certain guest arrives for Laura's wedding, second thoughts arise. Jessie fights for her life after being stung by a swarm of bees.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Orville Gant

Sun, Mar 5, 1978

With the sheriff's son held hostage by Flint, the robbery goes forward, leaving two men dead. Jessie's condition worsens as the doctor can't help her. Zeb's and Beth's accounts of her rescue come under suspicion by authorities, causing her to leave abruptly, with her leading Zeb to a mountain cabin.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Amnesty

Sun, Mar 12, 1978

Zeb learns Beth's husband is supposedly a dead, guilt-ridden Army hero involved in a military massacre. As Jessie nears death, Zeb decides to take her to an Arapaho medicine man - with a skeptical Luke and Josh in close pursuit.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Cattle Drive

Sun, Mar 19, 1978

Jessie recovers with the help of the Aapaho, but the tribe finds itself on the brink of starvation due to the broken promise of beef shipments. Zeb and Luke embark on a cattle-herding journey across harsh flatlands, joined by contentious Indian drovers - and trailed by a young runaway.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Robber's Roost

Sun, Mar 26, 1978

On the journey home, the stagecoach carrying Molly and Jessie is wrecked - and a dazed Jessie wanders into the desert, where she meets the young Navajo Teel-O. Zeb and Josh purchase a cattle herd to bring back to the reservation, and Zeb hires old friend Tap Henry to serve as cook on the drive.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Deek

Sun, Apr 9, 1978

Deek Peasley is reluctantly hired to lead the search party for Jessie, who tries to bridge the language gap with Teel-O. The cattle drive gets underway, shadowed by Tap's rustler cronies. While camping out, tensions mount between Deek and Molly, and a costly bargain is negotiated.

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ The Judge

Sun, Apr 16, 1978

Jessie and Teel-O have a fateful encounter with Teel-O's grandfather. While scouting for water, Luke comes to the rescue of Judge Rensen, who offers to seek a pardon for Luke's criminal past in Missouri. Teel-O and Jessie are stalked by would-be slavers.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ Gold

Sun, Apr 23, 1978

Luke is jailed pending his hearing, and from his cell, gives a newspaper interview that draws trouble to Las Mesas. Apaches disrupt the cattle drive. Jessie is rescued, and she and the others return home to find gold in the Machan creek - just as Deek becomes more neighborly.

11Season 2

S2.E11 ∙ Brothers

Sun, Apr 30, 1978

After he learns of presence of gold, Deek bribes a land agent to seize ownership of the Macahan creek. Tap takes extreme measures to keep Zeb from learning about the rustlers. Josh arrives in Las Mesas to support Luke at the hearing and - literally - runs into Doreen, with whom he is instantly smitten.

12Season 2

S2.E12 ∙ Secrets

Sun, May 7, 1978

A vengeful Stillman hires local power broker Francis Britten to help convict Luke. Deek moves onto Macahan land, and Tap confesses the truth to Zeb. Luke gets a mysterious visitor.

13Season 2

S2.E13 ∙ The Hearing

Sun, May 14, 1978

Luke's hearing begins and things look bad for him. Frank Grayson produces proof that Luke was a member of the Flint gang. A snooping Evans overplays his hand with Deek. Josh is framed for assault by Doreen - and his brother's plight provokes Luke to drastic action.

14Season 2

S2.E14 ∙ The Posse

Sun, May 21, 1978

Fleeing jail with Josh, Luke finds Judge Rensen dead. When the brothers split up after narrowly eluding the posse, Josh is attacked and Zeb's pursuit ends in a face off with Stillman. The cattle drive regroups and makes a final homeward push. Deek menaces Laura and Molly for the last time.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ The Gunfighter

Mon, Jan 15, 1979

Frank Grayson comes to town and Luke takes an interest when he learns he has been hired to run settlers out of the valley. Things are further complicated when Laura develops a romantic interest in Frank.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ The Rustler

Mon, Jan 22, 1979

Jessie meets a boy in town and quickly becomes fond of him. He is on his way to meet some friends with plans to steal some horses.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ The Enemy

Mon, Feb 5, 1979

Zeb joins a group of soldiers assigned to bring Two Bears back to the fort in hopes of ending Indian attacks on wagons passing west. The group is led by Lt. Ayeless who is fresh out of West Point and clashes with Zeb.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ The Innocent

Mon, Feb 12, 1979

Josh tries to bring a couple of horses home but needs to cross a river and finds himself in the middle of a feud over ferries on the river. Josh befriends Willie - a boy who is slow and overprotected by his mother.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Hillary

Mon, Feb 26, 1979

Orville Gant catches a bank robber who has information about the murder of Judge Renson. He contacts Luke. Luke comes to town and sparks fly when he meets Hillary as he prepares to go out after the killer.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ L'Affaire Riel

Mon, Mar 5, 1979

General Sheridan prevails upon a reluctant Zeb to search for Louis Riel and return him to Canada. While Zeb is gone the General takes advantage of an opportunity to pursue an interest in Molly Culhane.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ The Scavengers

Mon, Mar 12, 1979

Zeb, Molly, and Laura are on their way back from St. Louis when the riverboat they are on is attacked by pirates. Zeb is thrown overboard and Molly and Laura are kidnapped.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ The Forgotten

Mon, Mar 19, 1979

An army survey team guided by Luke is attacked and two soldiers are killed. Luke and Josh return to the site to hunt for the killer only to find a confederate soldier who is still fighting the war.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Luke

Mon, Apr 2, 1979

Luke is forced to kill a bounty hunter who learns the reward on Luke is still in effect and increased. He soon learns the bounty was advertised by the government in order to force Luke to work undercover for them.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ China Girl

Mon, Apr 16, 1979

Li Sin's family leaves China for a better future. She is raped on the voyage to America and finds herself on the Macahan ranch on land leased for gold exploration. When Molly finds she is pregnant, she takes her in to the Macahan household.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ The Slavers

Mon, Apr 23, 1979

When letters from Tap Henry's daughter are returned from Mexico, Zeb and Josh head south to find out what happened to her. When they arrive in her home town, no one is willing to answer their questions.