Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, debraran said:

Also, I felt some amnesia. Luke liked her. He really liked her. They were married for 10 minutes. If they sent Nellie to a women's college in the big (bad) city, she would have met someone with more money and been fine. She just didn't fit in Walnut Grove. I also think without her mom, she would have mellowed on her own with age and maturity.

I really enjoyed that episode of Nellie's marriage to Luke. It was hilarious! 

And yes Harriet was definitely a big part of why Nellie was the way she was. Any time Nels tried to step in to correct that or counter it, Harriet shot him down. It would probably have done her a world of good to go somewhere else, away from her mother's influence, for awhile.  

[debraran]

That was one of the funniest shows, Nellie's marriage. I remember Laura asking her for advice since she had been married and Nellie saying "not for long".

Melissa Sue has always said how shy Alison was when she first came on set, during Country Girls, she said in interview:

 Melissa Sue Anderson was asked about Arngrim: “It was interesting working with Alison because she was so shy... she couldn’t look at you and deliver her lines. The director, Bill Claxton [ Episode 103: Country Girls ], had a terrible time getting her to actually look at you and say her lines. And she grew... she got it eventually but she was just so shy and so scared... maybe it wasn’t because so was so shy, but she was so scared. She was petrified I think, and you know, she became the little kid you loved to hate and she did a great job with it.”

She really did, when she got comfortable, she ran with it and still does. 😉

[Zella]

1 minute ago, debraran said:

That was one of the funniest shows, Nellie's marriage. I remember Laura asking her for advice since she had been married and Nellie saying "not for long".

Melissa Sue has always said how shy Alison was when she first came on set, during Country Girls, she said in interview:

 Melissa Sue Anderson was asked about Arngrim: “It was interesting working with Alison because she was so shy... she couldn’t look at you and deliver her lines. The director, Bill Claxton [ Episode 103: Country Girls ], had a terrible time getting her to actually look at you and say her lines. And she grew... she got it eventually but she was just so shy and so scared... maybe it wasn’t because so was so shy, but she was so scared. She was petrified I think, and you know, she became the little kid you loved to hate and she did a great job with it.”

She really did, when she got comfortable, she ran with it and still does. 😉

I definitely think Alison was one of the more talented kid actors on the show! And she seems to have stayed consistent with it. I've mentioned on here before that Melissa Gilbert started out as a really impressive child actor on the show but got lazy as the show went on. I never noted that with Alison. And actually I didn't note that with Melissa Sue either. I thought she was pretty consistent.

[debraran]

45 minutes ago, Zella said:

I definitely think Alison was one of the more talented kid actors on the show! And she seems to have stayed consistent with it. I've mentioned on here before that Melissa Gilbert started out as a really impressive child actor on the show but got lazy as the show went on. I never noted that with Alison. And actually I didn't note that with Melissa Sue either. I thought she was pretty consistent.

I agree with you , Melissa Sue and Alison were pretty consistent although Alison got better episodes as time went on. When you think about it, Melissa Gilbert never had the meat MSA had to deal with with Emmy material type of shows. She was pretty much doing the same thing with different older men or teens in various shows. lol  She did seem bored later and the scripts weren't very good. I guess she did what she could with them.

Richard Bull mentioned "Willie" was very smart, he thought the smartest on the show, but acting was probably not the same as Alison's. I think if he wanted too, Jonathan could have handled much better scripts.

I like how in a few of these chats online, Melissa will bring him up, at least not to have him completely forgotten. When Matthew couldn't remember any other "adoptees", Melissa did remind him her brother was. Last chat, Alison looked uncomfortable when she mentioned she had a sibling on show too, but no one followed up on her mentioning him because I think they all know he's MIA in a way. He was part of the show the entire time though and I'm glad he gets some credit.

Edited March 21, 2021 by debraran

[Zella]

21 minutes ago, debraran said:

I agree with you , Melissa Sue and Alison were pretty consistent although Alison got better episodes as time went on. When you think about it, Melissa Gilbert never had the meat MSA had to deal with with Emmy material type of shows. She was pretty much doing the same thing with different older men or teens in various shows. lol  She did seem bored later and the scripts weren't very good. I guess she did what she could with them.

Richard Bull mentioned "Willie" was very smart, he thought the smartest on the show, but acting was probably not the same as Alison's. I think if he wanted too, Jonathan could have handled much better scripts.

I like how in a few of these chats online, Melissa will bring him up, at least not to have him completely forgotten. When Matthew couldn't remember any other "adoptees", Melissa did remind him her brother was. Last chat, Alison looked uncomfortable when she mentioned she had a sibling on show too, but no one followed up on her mentioning him because I think they all know he's MIA in a way. He was part of the show the entire time though and I'm glad he gets some credit.

I didn't think Jonathan was the best of the kid actors when he was little, but I did think he improved as he went along! I have such a soft spot for Willie actually. He's a terrible little shit a lot of the time, but I still end up feeling sorry for him. 

 

[debraran]

21 minutes ago, Zella said:

I didn't think Jonathan was the best of the kid actors when he was little, but I did think he improved as he went along! I have such a soft spot for Willie actually. He's a terrible little shit a lot of the time, but I still end up feeling sorry for him. 

 

And dang, he was just so cute in the beginning. I also think he was very handsome later and if the show wasn't canceled, ?

[jird]

I can hear Jenny (Jinny!) in my head happily announcing, "You're not a wild boy, you're just a mute!" in my head, and it's making me cringe. Thankfully both she and Laura had the amazing gift of being able to both learn and teach sign language in approximately 3 1/2 minutes, probably from the huge variety of books on the subject at the mercantile.

[Pirpana]

^Yeah, it's strange how even when they say it's been weeks or months I rarely actually believe it. Maybe it got something to do with the fact that the characters always have exactly the same clothes on. Mr. Edwards has his red checked shirt etc... and Charles has his nipples.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Now I'm watching the town go Boom! 

The Rev. does a good quivering lower lip. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Now they're singing "Onward Crispin Glover." 

[Zella]

Last night, I watched the episode where Laura becomes disillusioned after a publisher tries to make her stories about Ma's pie baking more action-packed. I laughed so hard at the show coming down on the side of not tampering at all with Laura's precious vision when they, you know, repeatedly added stuff to include more melodrama and action. Michael Landon's voice emerging specterlike at the end startled me. 

Also the alcoholic editor is Ursula's dad on George of the Jungle, and I couldn't unsee that when I figured out who he was. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Zella

[Zella]

2 hours ago, Pirpana said:

^Yeah, it's strange how even when they say it's been weeks or months I rarely actually believe it. Maybe it got something to do with the fact that the characters always have exactly the same clothes on. Mr. Edwards has his red checked shirt etc... and Charles has his nipples.

In the episode where Edwards is suicidal and Saint Pa saves the day (of course), Edwards is in a new shirt for awhile, and I am ashamed to admit how proud I was of him for changing up his wardrobe. But by the end, he's back to the same nasty shirt. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Zella

[jird]

19 minutes ago, Zella said:

 

Also the alcoholic editor is Ursula's dad on George of the Jungle, and I couldn't unsee that when I figured out who he was. 

And Matthew Perry's dad. He also plays one of the James brothers in the episode where they kidnap Mary, I think.

[Zella]

8 minutes ago, jird said:

And Matthew Perry's dad. He also plays one of the James brothers in the episode where they kidnap Mary, I think.

Oh I didn't recognize him on that episode! Last night, I also watched the Older Brothers episode--they really liked going to that James Gang well, didn't they LOL--and I noticed they reused Geoffrey Lewis for Cole Younger after he was one of the Bully Boys a few seasons ago. 

Had no clue the other guy was Matthew Perry's dad either. Mind is blown. (And apparently Keith Morrison is Matthew Perry's stepdad?!)

Edited March 22, 2021 by Zella

[Mr. Sparkle]

The Older Brothers episode is bottom tier for me, so bad. But it did have a few classic tv character actors. 

[Zella]

18 minutes ago, Superclam said:

The Older Brothers episode is bottom tier for me, so bad. But it did have a few classic tv character actors. 

It had a good cast, but it was definitely part of the frenetic trying very hard to be funny trend. I did laugh a few times, though, unlike some of the others that are trying so hard to be funny, so I'll give it a point for that. 

I was sort of puzzled by the decision to make the Younger Brothers bumbling crooks. Beyond it being a well they've retuned to many times, the real guys were a pretty rough bunch. But I should know better than to ponder that too hard. LOL

Edited March 22, 2021 by Zella

[CountryGirl]

5 hours ago, jird said:

I can hear Jenny (Jinny!) in my head happily announcing, "You're not a wild boy, you're just a mute!" in my head, and it's making me cringe. Thankfully both she and Laura had the amazing gift of being able to both learn and teach sign language in approximately 3 1/2 minutes, probably from the huge variety of books on the subject at the mercantile.

Now, now Laura did have all that practice teaching Daniel back in the day.

At least Jinny had a cuter boy to mentor.

 

[jason88cubs]

I always wanted a real scary drama episode. Like one of a starnger going around stealing stuff robbing people. Episodes that went that way ended up being comedy or sympathy

[jird]

Most episodes that I can't watch are because they're stupid, but that Daniel episode is one that I can't watch because it's so cringey.

[CountryGirl]

26 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

I always wanted a real scary drama episode. Like one of a starnger going around stealing stuff robbing people. Episodes that went that way ended up being comedy or sympathy

Well, there is that one with Robert Loggia shooting his wife and daughter and holding Laura, Jinny, and Rose hostage but it's from S9. 

[Zella]

4 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Well, there is that one with Robert Loggia shooting his wife and daughter and holding Laura, Jinny, and Rose hostage but it's from S9. 

And it's such a shockingly boring episode! I think I posted on here earlier that the most exciting moment of the whole episode was me having a delayed realization that that man was Loggia. 

I do like seeing the random people who pop up as guests in episodes, whether they aren't famous yet or were pretty well-established. But that's true for me in general with TV shows from any era.

[Snow Apple]

I thought Daniel was unfortunate looking but he wouldn't be so bad if he got a hair cut. Cover his long hair with your fingers in the picture and check it out.

[Zella]

Daniel is a god compared to poor Johnny Johnson. I know Mary got knocked for being prissy, but I had a soft spot for her ever since Laura got jealous over Johnny Johnson liking her and Mary was just like "Whaaaat?" 

[libgirl2]

The actor who played Daniel, Alban Branton, died in 2016. 

[Zella]

Pa has showed back up, and he is stuck in another miserable job in the evil city. He's kept his shirt on so far, but it's early days. Also I think I've read warnings about this episode on the internet and I'm bracing myself. 

[RedbirdNelly]

On 3/21/2021 at 4:52 PM, Zella said:

My problem was never him. It was her acting as if nobody had ever told her she was pretty or found her beautiful. Like it was some revelation to her that she was attractive and that is why she changed.  

I think it would have worked a lot better actually as the Taming of the Shrew, but I didn't see that at all precisely because of the way she responded and what she latched onto. It reminds me more of those high school comedies where the awkward chick is shocked to find out she's hot rather than the bitch on wheels gets put in her place when she finally meets her match. 

I always read the scene differently--that she was falling for him and the fact he was interested in anyway thrilled her. I agree, there was nothing to suggest her issue was ever lack of confidence that she was pretty.

[Zella]

7 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I always read the scene differently--that she was falling for him and the fact he was interested in anyway thrilled her. I agree, there was nothing to suggest her issue was ever lack of confidence that she was pretty.

So less "He called me PRETTY" and more "HE called me pretty"? That makes sense. I'll have to rewatch it and see if my reaction changes. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

Pa has showed back up, and he is stuck in another miserable job in the evil city. He's kept his shirt on so far, but it's early days. Also I think I've read warnings about this episode on the internet and I'm bracing myself. 

morPHINE? It's a classic. Charles' boss is such a dick in that one! 

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

morPHINE? It's a classic. Charles' boss is such a dick in that one! 

Yes it was that one! As much as I like to pick on Pa and Michael Landon, I will admit that episode was certainly more dynamic than most of season 9. And Charlie kept his shirt on! I was proud of him for that.

I could have done without Albert vomiting. I am very sensitive about puking scenes. They make me puke, so I kept covering my face until that was over. I didn't think Morphine Vesuvius would ever end. 

[Zella]

Also apparently Amazon has scenes removed from their Prime episodes of LHOTP? It cut away from Albert stealing Hester Sue's sugar, and I figured out right away why he was interested in it but was puzzled why it didn't show a scene of him swapping out the morphine. But apparently there is a scene they just didn't show! 

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Superclam said:

morPHINE? It's a classic. Charles' boss is such a dick in that one! 

I always felt Charles should work for the nice shop owner who let Albert have another chance. He resurrected as the guy previously who died of a heart attack and made Charles want to do woodworking. Claude Earl Jones was the actor, who passed away recently but I would have liked to see him as a semi regular back then.

I would tell Mr Landon, there are good people in the city, they all aren't harlots and nasty men. I wish they let them experience one that wasn't a minister but for plot purposes Walnut Grove had to be a haven.

When you think about it though, Walnut Grove had rapists, child abusers, nasty gossip, racists and bullies. It was much quieter though.

Edited March 23, 2021 by debraran

[Pirpana]

9 hours ago, Zella said:

Also apparently Amazon has scenes removed from their Prime episodes of LHOTP? It cut away from Albert stealing Hester Sue's sugar, and I figured out right away why he was interested in it but was puzzled why it didn't show a scene of him swapping out the morphine. But apparently there is a scene they just didn't show! 

Actually, it's not just Amazon. Amazon uses Lionsgate's restored DVDs/Blu-rays as their source and that episode is about five minutes shorter than it should on those as well. Scene(s) are intact on that abysmal old DVD release, though. There was a lot of talk about it when Lionsgate released their Remastered Editions how they were supposed to be "uncut" version and yet there was this kind of omissions. This wasn't the only one although but by far most crucial.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Pirpana

[RedbirdNelly]

13 hours ago, Zella said:

So less "He called me PRETTY" and more "HE called me pretty"? That makes sense. I'll have to rewatch it and see if my reaction changes. 

yes--although I was thinking about this while trying to sleep and if I remember correctly, she says this after being really mean to him and there probably isn't the foundation for her to already be into him--but that's how I took it. Logical or not, I enjoyed their "how they got together" story. 

[jird]

16 hours ago, Zella said:

So less "He called me PRETTY" and more "HE called me pretty"? That makes sense. I'll have to rewatch it and see if my reaction changes. 

I wonder if it was related to the fact that Harriet told her that they bought Nellie the restaurant so that she could get a husband, which might have changed her self-perception, too. Her mom had always acted like Nellie was the queen of everything, so to have Harriet admit that maybe Nellie needed something this big and expensive to get a man could have been a blow to her.

[Zella]

7 minutes ago, jird said:

I wonder if it was related to the fact that Harriet told her that they bought Nellie the restaurant so that she could get a husband, which might have changed her self-perception, too. Her mom had always acted like Nellie was the queen of everything, so to have Harriet admit that maybe Nellie needed something this big and expensive to get a man could have been a blow to her.

That could be, though I find that entire subplot about the restaurant so harebrained and illogical that it distracts me. There were a lot of cheaper ways to make Nellie look like a promising bride that didn't involve creating an entire business for her that is actually not as prestigious for the time period as the show made it out to be. The Oleson family were good enough actors to make it work, but I feel like Nellie's Restaurant is probably one of the first manifestations of shark jumping in the show. 

Edited March 23, 2021 by Zella

[jason88cubs]

2 inches of rain today. Crops are ruined, cant pay the mercantile, looks like I'll have to travel 50 miles for work

 

At least I got my good friend Chris the Handyman to look in on my wife make sure she's ok

[debraran]

Someone in France built a LHOP village and set it to music. One of the coolest LHOP craft I've seen.  The pic below shows it as I first saw it and then I found this video on youtube.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Watching "Charles Helps Drunk Dad" now. We see Charlie at his most self-righteous and face-punchy. All we're missing is nipples! 

Those bats are still kind of creepy! 

[Tamiele]

I've got an x-rated comment to inject into the otherwise g-rated LHOP commentary.  I have just watched the marriage of L and A and now they are living their married life.  I think it was a very missed opportunity to not inject some 14+ extra movie whereby those of us who had such a crush on Dean Butler could have seen some wild kingdom on the prairie. 😜

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Tamiele said:

I've got an x-rated comment to inject into the otherwise g-rated LHOP commentary.  I have just watched the marriage of L and A and now they are living their married life.  I think it was a very missed opportunity to not inject some 14+ extra movie whereby those of us who had such a crush on Dean Butler could have seen some wild kingdom on the prairie. 😜

Nellie had more of that with both beaus! 

[Zella]

I just realized I'm getting ready to watch the orangutan episode. I'm so ridiculously excited! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'll admit, I'm a little jealous. I remember my first time. 

[Zella]

That was a wild ride. Overall, it definitely has the feel of a show that knows it is on its last leg and is trying way too hard, but the orangutan was a more dynamic performer than most of the guests for season 9. 😂

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'll say this about Blanche, most of which I've said before, but since we're all talking about Little House in the Prairie in 2021, I'll assume we're not that busy. 

1. It's not that bad an episode for Season 9. Certainly better than "Little Lou." 
2. The late 70s - early 80s were a big time for companion primates. See "Any Which Way But Loose" and "BJ and the Bear." 
3. Most importantly: notice how Blanche reacted to the fire by TAKING THE FREAKING BABY OUT OF THE HOUSE UNLIKE THE ACTUAL ADULT HUMANS!!!!! 

[Katy M]

20 minutes ago, Superclam said:

I'll say this about Blanche, most of which I've said before, but since we're all talking about Little House in the Prairie in 2021, I'll assume we're not that busy. 

1. It's not that bad an episode for Season 9. Certainly better than "Little Lou." 
2. The late 70s - early 80s were a big time for companion primates. See "Any Which Way But Loose" and "BJ and the Bear." 
3. Most importantly: notice how Blanche reacted to the fire by TAKING THE FREAKING BABY OUT OF THE HOUSE UNLIKE THE ACTUAL ADULT HUMANS!!!!! 

1. I don't even remember that other episode (even after looking it up), so you're probably right.

2. Yep.  I can think of 2 more shows off the top of my head that had primate guest stars.  Definitely a fad or trend.

3. that's not fair.  You know there was something about that town that made them thinking leaving babies in a fire was a good idea.  Actually wasn't Jenny alone with Blanche and Rose?  Didn't Blanche start the fire when Jenny went out to the barn to milk the cow or something?

[Mr. Sparkle]

39 minutes ago, Katy M said:

You know there was something about that town that made them thinking leaving babies in a fire was a good idea.

If I were a scientist, I would work hard to isolate that gene. Is it hereditary? Did it come from Charles' side, or Caroline's? All questions we will likely never have answered. 😞

41 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Actually wasn't Jenny alone with Blanche and Rose?  Didn't Blanche start the fire when Jenny went out to the barn to milk the cow or something?

I don't remember at all. We can ask @Zella, who watched it last night. Still, I would say that even if you don't start the fire, you should probably still save children (and anyone else, really) from said fire. 

[Zella]

Blanche was innocent! ROSE started the fire even though our primate friend shook her head no at the baby to let the little fool know touching the lamp was a bad idea! Jenny was out in the barn, being derelict in her babysitting duties. She was milking a cow on demand instead of a milking schedule. My eyes, how they rolled when that happened. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Zella

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'll just add - I was just in the supermarket and they were playing "We Didn't Start the Fire."

 

[Blergh]

17 hours ago, Zella said:

I just realized I'm getting ready to watch the orangutan episode. I'm so ridiculously excited! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It marked virtually the ONLY time  on the show in which Mr. Edwards's muted adopted son Matthew got a mention after Mr. Edwards had gone through SO much to save him from that criminally abusive carnie who'd kept him hooked on morphine to 'entertain' paying customers before his own long-lost (and deeply regretful) father reclaimed him. . Anyway, once Blanche (the orangutan) got on the scene, it was quickly explained that Matthew was riding  with Mr. John Carter on a business trip to Mankato. I suppose the writers couldn't imagine how this mute, traumatized youth could have had silly, slapstick interaction with his guardian and an orangutan so they had to shoo the character away with the one regular who likely was the least likely  to have initiated any dialogue with him or anyone else on the show.  Sorry, but Mr. Carter made dishwater seem downright electrifying (though, I imagine Mrs. Carter likely appreciated her husband's earnestness and dullness after having had to deal with her overwhelming and manipulative  male parent her entire early life- why else would a rich publisher's daughter have eloped with a blacksmith) 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Blergh

[Zella]

20 minutes ago, Blergh said:

It marked virtually the ONLY time  on the show in which Mr. Edwards's muted adopted son Matthew got a mention after Mr. Edwards had gone through SO much to save him from that criminally abusive carnie who'd kept him hooked on morphine to 'entertain' paying customers before his own long-lost (and deeply regretful) father reclaimed him. . Anyway, once Blanche (the orangutan) got on the scene, it was quickly explained that Matthew was riding  with Mr. John Carter on a business trip to Mankato. I suppose the writers couldn't imagine how this mute, traumatized youth could have had silly, slapstick interaction with his guardian and an orangutan so they had to shoo the character away with the one regular who likely was the least likely  to have initiated any dialogue with him or anyone else on the show.  Sorry, but Mr. Carter made dishwater seem downright electrifying (though, I imagine Mrs. Carter likely appreciated her husband's earnestness and dullness after having had to deal with her overwhelming and manipulative  male parent her entire early life- why else would a rich publisher's daughter have eloped with a blacksmith) 

Hehe yes I thought that too about poor Matthew! And yes the Carters are so boring. He is way worse than her, but the kids are bland as well. I have no clue why they were brought in.