Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[CountryGirl]

I pretend S9 does not exist. 

[Cheezwiz]

5 hours ago, MollyMelrose said:

Still miss the TWOP Little House thread. Inspired, snark-filled, hysterical genius. Truly some of the funniest stuff I've read anywhere.

Will never forget a summer morning many years ago back when I was a baby teacher. WGN and TBS (neighbors on the dial) both had Little House reruns on, TBS starting 5 minutes after the hour. Never watched Little House during its first run, and really never got into the books as a kid, but decided that day I could use a dose of some wholesome family entertainment. The WGN episode that morning - Mary's baby goes up in smoke. Thought that was depressing, so switched to TBS ... for the Sylvia episode. Remember thinking, "Yipes! This is crazy!!"

Lucille Tarlek said it best on WKRP in Cincinnati: Oh, well... The Little House in the Prairie, that's a fine, wholesome show. It's about blind children out west, and every week they have a fire, or someone gets an incurable disease. We enjoy it very much!

If you watched it avidly as a youngster, it's not until you reach adulthood and look back that you realize what an incredibly fucked up family show this really was.

Oh, and for quoting WKRP? Especially THAT hilarious quote? YOU ARE ONE OF MY PEOPLE!!!

 

 

[debraran]

I was reading about the the things left out of the books and maybe the fire scenes weren't so crazy. Geez, the life hard enough without a a drunk guy with kerosene.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2726615/Wilder-memoir-gritty-view-prairie-life.html

[jason88cubs]

I love "The Inheritance"

 

Charles gets told he's in his uncles will, so they buy a bunch of stuff without having the actual money then its confederate money and everyone blame sthemselves and Charles gets away scot free

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, jason88cubs said:

I love "The Inheritance"

 

Charles gets told he's in his uncles will, so they buy a bunch of stuff without having the actual money then its confederate money and everyone blame sthemselves and Charles gets away scot free

Well, let's look at what he bought.  Books for the school and an organ for the church.  The town should have at least paid him back for those anyway.

[jason88cubs]

1 minute ago, Katy M said:

Well, let's look at what he bought.  Books for the school and an organ for the church.  The town should have at least paid him back for those anyway.

No I agree,

 

It's just he' so cash on the barrel and he just threw that motto away and started promising and charging stuff

[Katy M]

Just now, jason88cubs said:

No I agree,

 

It's just he' so cash on the barrel and he just threw that motto away and started promising and charging stuff

Yeah, I  know.  I just hate that episode because everyone pressures him to buy stuff before he had the money.  They should have not let the kids know and then it wouldn't have gotten blabbed all over town and then he would have waited for the money before spending it all.

Also, why on earth didn't the lawyer tell him it was confederate money in the first place.  I actually don't remember the details, but he either didn't give them a dollar amount, in which case they wouldn't know how much they could spend anyway, or he just flat out lied if he left out the small teeny tiny detail of it being worthless money.

[jason88cubs]

1 minute ago, Katy M said:

Yeah, I  know.  I just hate that episode because everyone pressures him to buy stuff before he had the money.  They should have not let the kids know and then it wouldn't have gotten blabbed all over town and then he would have waited for the money before spending it all.

Also, why on earth didn't the lawyer tell him it was confederate money in the first place.  I actually don't remember the details, but he either didn't give them a dollar amount, in which case they wouldn't know how much they could spend anyway, or he just flat out lied if he left out the small teeny tiny detail of it being worthless money.

Lawyer didn't know if I recall.

 

The money was in a chest which was locked and if I recall the lawyer told Charles he had no clue what was in it

 

[Katy M]

30 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Lawyer didn't know if I recall.

 

The money was in a chest which was locked and if I recall the lawyer told Charles he had no clue what was in it

 

That just makes Charles super stupid.  It's one thing to spend money you don't have yet if you know how much you're getting.  It's unconscionable to do so otherwise.  

[BigBingerBro]

The inheritance resulting in nothing is a recurring theme.  When Adam's father died, he ended up with nothing as well.  That one ticked me off because you'd think he would have had more assets to offset whatever debts he had.

[Katy M]

Now that we're talking about the episode, the whole organ thing is bugging me.  That's the best use of money that Reverend Alden can think of?  Does anybody in that town know how to play the organ? A piano would have made more sense. Was he thinking one of those huge organs with a million pipes?  But, more importantly, half the time Walnut Grove is depicted as a dirt poor farming community.  And you're going to waste money on a musical instrument instead of setting up some kind food/clothing/shelter fund for the poor? Come on, Reverend Alden.  And, really, does anyone know how to play it?  You're going to end up with a very expensive conversation piece.

[CountryGirl]

And we never saw that organ until The Scarecrow, ahem, Ray Bolger’s Toby Noe showed up in an episode, his heart set on wooing a mean old bat, and he was playing the organ at church to impress her. 

And it’s not like they needed an organ to accompany their two songs “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “Bringing in the Sheaves.” The latter of which Charles never managed to do  

[debraran]

Yes, in the books I vaguely remember a giving tree at Xmas and getting magazines and other things since everyone was so poor. Nothing like that in this show.

I wondered how old widows lived, they didn't farm, did they have any help? We take SS and other things for granted now (although not much money) but back then you were on your own. Grace worked at the post office but did that really pay enough for food and taxes and other things you needed. I can only imagine what women got paid back then.

Edited June 13, 2020 by debraran

[Katy M]

9 minutes ago, debraran said:

I wondered how old widows lived, they didn't farm, did they have any help?

If they had kids they would move in with them.  If not, maybe a sibling.  If they were young widows, they would do their best to remarry.  So would widowers in order to have a mother for their children.

[debraran]

37 minutes ago, Katy M said:

If they had kids they would move in with them.  If not, maybe a sibling.  If they were young widows, they would do their best to remarry.  So would widowers in order to have a mother for their children.

Yes I guess you had to be practical. (or starve) Grace seemed to be alone. The other widow with the dishes on this show was rich. The Sanderson widow died, not sure how she got by.

Found this cool overnight as a pioneer from a few years ago near me. I wonder if they will do this after Covid is gone. I bet quite a few people found it not as attractive as they thought. I do love Sturbridge Village though.

https://www.concordmonitor.com/Boarding-with-the-Bixbys-11881043

https://shunpikingwithray.com/2018/09/18/boarding-with-the-bixbys-15-16-september-1838-2018-osv-org/

Edited June 14, 2020 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

I don't understand how the heck Walnut Grove got a bank in the first place. They were constantly broke

 

heck 8 episodes before the "Ebenezer Sprague" episode wa s"The Richest Man in Walnut Grove" when the Ingalls family was poorer than poor, but then 8 episodes later Charles wants a loan?!?!?

[BigBingerBro]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

The other widow with the dishes on this show was rich.

The widow Thurmond wasn't it?  I love Mariette Hartley so that is one of my favorite episodes.  Too bad she wasn't a recurring character.  I would have loved to hear more about her backstory.  What was her rich husband doing on the prairie?  I read Melissa Gilbert's autobiography and she said Ms  Hartley was one of only two stars who got their own trailer on the set because she was nursing at the time.

[debraran]

9 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

The widow Thurmond wasn't it?  I love Mariette Hartley so that is one of my favorite episodes.  Too bad she wasn't a recurring character.  I would have loved to hear more about her backstory.  What was her rich husband doing on the prairie?  I read Melissa Gilbert's autobiography and she said Ms  Hartley was one of only two stars who got their own trailer on the set because she was nursing at the time.

I loved her too and the commercials she did with James Garner. ; )  I think that was their Prairie house like some people have summer/winter homes in the country. One of the few later shows I liked was with Jason Carter and the widow Ruthie Leland (?) who also was visiting. She was kind to him and she left before she died. I think that place was her "summer place" too. If only they stayed long enough to invest in the town. lol

I found it odd Charles asked for money from the bank for dishes but the other time was for Mary and I think he couldn't because he left but the church took up a collection. I never got how the bank stayed open and was it even secured then?

Edited June 14, 2020 by debraran

[BigBingerBro]

The bank is one thing but I also often wondered how the Mercantile stayed in business as well.   I know it's TV, but the population of Walnut Grove MN in 1880 was 153.  That does not account for surrounding areas, but that still does not seem to bode well for any business.  Perhaps they made money from pioneers coming through as they were heading west?

[parrotfeathers]

On 6/9/2020 at 10:58 AM, CountryGirl said:

I enjoyed that episode, too, although it did grate that the men held out until Charles (aka Pa Messiah, TM TWP) signed.

Percival ruled. Sorry, Ma and Pa and Laura and Zaldamo, Nellie and Percival were my favorite couple. 💓

I really enjoyed the episodes with Percival and Nellie.  

I cannot seem to get through any episodes with Albert.  I just don't like his character at all.  

[jason88cubs]

11 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

The bank is one thing but I also often wondered how the Mercantile stayed in business as well.   I know it's TV, but the population of Walnut Grove MN in 1880 was 153.  That does not account for surrounding areas, but that still does not seem to bode well for any business.  Perhaps they made money from pioneers coming through as they were heading west?

and the Olson's had tons of stuff too geez

[debraran]

10 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

and the Olson's had tons of stuff too geez

Yes you had to suspend reality in how they bought all the expensive things when people mainly bought eggs, sugar, spices, grain, etc and fabric. I think Harriet had money when she married Nels which probably helped too.

The store didn't stick out as much as the restaurant, where did all the customers come from? I'm sure the farmers working their butts off in the field didn't eat there daily and use up whatever they had in savings. I liked the scenes there though, loved Percival and Nellie, but it wasn't a bustling town to stop over in. ; )  It did add to some of the scripts and comedy.

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

How far away did they live from town? In some episodes they made it seem like it was a 10 minute walk, in others they made it seem like it was 45 minute walk

 

There was other times where early in the series, Charles would walk to the mill and take a whole different route than what they ended up taking to town later on

[BigBingerBro]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

where did all the customers come from?

Especially in the "Wave of the Future" episode where they sign the franchise contract.  They had Winoka-levels of customers eating there on a daily basis.  The best scene was when Hester Sue got all frazzled and stepped into the kitchen to let out a blood-curdling scream.

[CountryGirl]

Except for that time she left the cellar door open and her being a bit snooty to Joe Kagan when they first met, I absolutely loved Hester Sue. 

And my goodness could Ketty sing.

[CountryGirl]

On 6/11/2020 at 8:21 PM, RedbirdNelly said:

thanks but I was picturing a girl getting shot in the stomach. Now wondering where I got that idea!

There was an episode from the horrible, no good, very bad et al Season 9 (Rage) where a man went crazy and shot his wife and young daughter. 

[jird]

3 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Except for that time she left the cellar door open and her being a bit snooty to Joe Kagan when they first met, I absolutely loved Hester Sue. 

And my goodness could Ketty sing.

Well of course she was snooty to him, they'd been married in the episode where we first meet him, and yet he didn't seem to remember her at all! 😅 LH was not afraid to reuse actors, that's for sure.

I loved Hester Sue, too. She kinda reminded me of my mom, right down to her "Oh no you did not just say that to me" face.

[ChicksDigScars]

Oh lord. Walnut Grove is being blown up on UP TV today. I guess the blessing in that is that once that is over, the original Little house on the Prairie pilot movie is on tomorrow at 10:00 EST.

 

I was a LIW fanatic as a child. Literally WORE out the paperbacks and have the hard bounds in my bookcase as we speak. Right next to Harry Potter. I was so excited when they came out with the movie, but my 10 year old self immediately began picking it apart. Pa with no beard? Laura with brown eyes? WTF?! But Mary was a snot, so that was consistent.

Edited June 15, 2020 by ChicksDigScars

[Mr. Sparkle]

Oooh, I just found out I have UPTV on my cable package! 

I wish I could watch it on my PC on demand. I might DVR a few classic episodes. 

[jird]

If you have Amazon prime, it's free there, with commercials.

[Mr. Sparkle]

30 minutes ago, jird said:

If you have Amazon prime, it's free there, with commercials.

It is, and I do! I'm totally overwhelmed with the amount of Little House available! 

[debraran]

16 minutes ago, Superclam said:

It is, and I do! I'm totally overwhelmed with the amount of Little House available! 

When I found that in prime I was like Yes! ( hadn’t been there last I checked) they even have the 90 min movies . I love the trivia too

Edited June 15, 2020 by debraran

[Mr. Sparkle]

And in looking at the episode descriptions, somewhere between Seasons 7 & 8 is where I used to lose interest. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Superclam
7 & 8, not 6 & 7

[CountryGirl]

1 hour ago, jird said:

Well of course she was snooty to him, they'd been married in the episode where we first meet him, and yet he didn't seem to remember her at all! 😅 LH was not afraid to reuse actors, that's for sure.

I loved Hester Sue, too. She kinda reminded me of my mom, right down to her "Oh no you did not just say that to me" face.

OMG. I totally forgot she played his wife. Heck, I forgot Joe had a wife.

But I will never forget him getting Harriet's goat, especially when she came across him bathing (Blind Journey episode) and he laughed at her aghast demeanor, saying "black folks take baths, too!"

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, Superclam said:

And in looking at the episode descriptions, somewhere between Seasons 7 & 8 is where I used to lose interest. 

I'm pretty much over it after Mary goes blind.  There are some good episodes here and there after that, but IMO, the show was better before that point.  The actual episodes where she goes blind are phenomenal.  I'm not a huge Albert fan.  And I feel like Laura goes from braid wearing tom boy to wife in 3 episodes flat.

[Mr. Sparkle]

36 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I'm pretty much over it after Mary goes blind.  There are some good episodes here and there after that, but IMO, the show was better before that point.  The actual episodes where she goes blind are phenomenal.  I'm not a huge Albert fan.  And I feel like Laura goes from braid wearing tom boy to wife in 3 episodes flat.

I don't mind Albert so much, but once James and Cassandra come in, I'm done. 

I like Laura as a student much more than as a teacher. 

 

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

I don't mind Albert so much, but once James and Cassandra come in, I'm done. 

I like Laura as a student much more than as a teacher. 

 

I actually liked James and Cassandra.

I think I said this before, but the first year of Laura's marriage and teaching she just seemed more like a kid playing house.

[debraran]

I felt James and Cassandra were fillers although they got more lines than Carrie. She really was given nothing to do and might have gotten paid less without a script.

Laura was never a good fit compared to Miss Beadle or Eliza Jane. She seemed to yell and be condescending at times. I guess the transition was just so quick.

I felt Mary had to go blind and I never understood Melissa Sue being upset about it. It was part of the books, to ignore that would be a very big hole. I thought she was excellent during that 2  part episode and deserved an emmy nomination. Even soon after she had some good shows but giving Adam his sight back seemed to end it. Melissa didn't want to be the blind wife while he had better scripts.

[BigBingerBro]

I really feel that the biggest mistake they made was casting Dean Butler for the role of Almanzo.  Not that he wasn't a good actor, but they should have made sure they found someone closer to Melissa's age who she has a bit of chemistry with.  Every time i see the episodes with them as a couple, it feels more like a contentious brother and sister.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

aura was never a good fit compared to Miss Beadle or Eliza Jane. She seemed to yell and be condescending at times. I guess the transition was just so quick.

Exactly. She was basically still a kid and felt she had to prove herself.  Think about how many in that class were her former classmates.

 

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I felt Mary had to go blind and I never understood Melissa Sue being upset about it. It was part of the books, to ignore that would be a very big hole.

Oh, sure she definitely had to go blind.  And, like I said, those episodes are among my favorites.  I just feel like it's a turning point where I don't enjoy the show as much.

 

1 hour ago, debraran said:

Even soon after she had some good shows but giving Adam his sight back seemed to end it. Melissa didn't want to be the blind wife while he had better scripts.

When Adam thought Mary was getting her sight back, he was upset about it and didn't seem to understand her feelings when he actually did get his sight back.  BTW, I also really like the episode when Mary thinks she can see light. The pure joy on her face when she's telling the eye doctor she can see the light and Charles's face simultaneously falling when he realizes that there's no light for her to see. 

[jason88cubs]

As sad as this i checked out when Albert comes in. i still watch it but im not as invested , but there are still some grear episodes

[debraran]

24 minutes ago, Katy M said:

When Adam thought Mary was getting her sight back, he was upset about it and didn't seem to understand her feelings when he actually did get his sight back.  BTW, I also really like the episode when Mary thinks she can see light. The pure joy on her face when she's telling the eye doctor she can see the light and Charles's face simultaneously falling when he realizes that there's no light for her to see. 

As a parent, just a sensitive person, I still feel the gut punch with that, the hope sinking like a rock when there is no light. He had to tell her again. Then Adam gets his sight back and seems to forget Mary is blind. That scene with his new work friends while she sat on a chair gazing at nothing was so sad. He didn't go to the picnic like he said and she mentioned in an interview they'd place her at a football game, again listening but not seeing and she felt like a prop. I wished she helped him in the law office or kept teaching but for reasons we don't know, they didn't. I mean please, no one watching thought Adam would make money in Walnut Grove. lol What cases would they have and what money? They spent it all at Caroline's restaurant. 🙂

Edited June 16, 2020 by debraran

[Katy M]

4 minutes ago, debraran said:

I mean please, no one watching thought Adam would make money in Walnut Grove. lol What cases would they have and what money? They spent it all at Caroline's restaurant.

I guess that's why they had to move. 

What happened to all the blind kids?  Did they jsut send them back home?

Edited June 16, 2020 by Katy M

[debraran]

They alluded in interviews they probably did but that's sad. Hester Sue couldn't stay and the state took over (?) but I guess it was up to you to end it yourself. It didn't seem they would have the same love and support.

When Melissa Sue saw she was only in 4 episodes (and barely) in her last season, she said she'd leave. It seems they could have had some nice episodes centered on them but they thought differently. I would rather of had the older originals than the younger kids.

[RedbirdNelly]

On 6/15/2020 at 9:10 AM, CountryGirl said:

There was an episode from the horrible, no good, very bad et al Season 9 (Rage) where a man went crazy and shot his wife and young daughter. 

thank you for jogging my memory

 

[Snow Apple]

Am I going nuts or are they just showing the same episodes over and over? For a show that ran for 11 seasons, I figure there should be enough episodes that I shouldn't be seeing Sylvia at least 4 times in the past three months.

Also, I'm watching the pilot movie again and Laura catches the (innocent) attention of older men right from the beginning. The Native American dude gave Laura an amulet and ignored the other girls like they weren't sitting right there.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Snow Apple

[BigBingerBro]

I caught "Country Girls" on Up today.  Definitely my favorite episode.  I did notice one slight issue.  Laura is just beginning to learn to read and write, but right after the girls buy the slate, the next scene shows Laura doing some multiplication problems at the blackboard such as 5x7=  Seems a bit advanced for a girl just starting in school unless Ma had been teaching them arithmetic at home...

[jason88cubs]

8 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Am I going nuts or are they just showing the same episodes over and over? For a show that ran for 11 seasons, I figure there should be enough episodes that I shouldn't be seeing Sylvia at least 4 times in the past three months.

Also, I'm watching the pilot movie again and Laura catches the (innocent) attention of older men right from the beginning. The Native American dude gave Laura an amulet and ignored the other girls like they weren't sitting right there.

on cozitv they skip a few

[debraran]

I like watching it on Cozi but Amazon Prime is nice because I can skip certain ones. I remember my daughter years ago saying how sad the last one was, blowing up buildings was over the top,  Charles and Caroline in their old house with Carter's things. marching out of town singing, but then the next one is the first...and I remember her yelling "They are little again!"with a laugh and smile. It's the only saving grace.

Without having to watch it again, did they ever say where all the displaced people were going and how they were going to live? Charles had a home, were the others moving in? He did have a bigger home 😁

Edited June 17, 2020 by debraran

[debraran]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

 

Edited June 17, 2020 by debraran
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