Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[jason88cubs]

I think we discussed this earlier, did the doctor live about the mailroom? where they had a few spare rooms?

 

 

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

I think we discussed this earlier, did the doctor live about the mailroom? where they had a few spare rooms?

 

 

As best I can tell, Doc Baker lived within viewing distance of wherever that 'Rooms' sign happened to be. Of course, when he decided to hang up his stethescope for an episode, he did managed to get some acreage to vain try to become a farmer.  Then, during Mr. Hansen's last hurrah when the Ingallses returned to try to revive Walnut Grove from its temp ghost town deal, it seemed Doc Baker was living in Mr. Hansen's place full time to be the dying man's live-in caregiver but once the town got back on its feet (and Mr. Hansen had finished his last smorgasbord), it seemed Doc Baker was back to following the mysterious Rooms sign all over again!

Of course, what was also odd was that Miss Beadle was ALSO supposed to have lived somewhere near the Rooms sign (at least until she got enough acreage for her horse named Jack and that tree swing) but they never had any but the most prim dealings- and even Mrs. Oleson didn't consider the possibility of them getting together!

[jird]

16 hours ago, Blergh said:

Of course, what was also odd was that Miss Beadle was ALSO supposed to have lived somewhere near the Rooms sign (at least until she got enough acreage for her horse named Jack and that tree swing) but they never had any but the most prim dealings- and even Mrs. Oleson didn't consider the possibility of them getting together!

Poor Doc Baker. The only educated, single guy in town, and all the ladies acted like he didn't exist. He was there all the time and apparently neither Caroline nor Grace thought he was an option for Grace. Then smelly, drunk Mr. Edwards shows up and they leap on him like water in a desert!

[debraran]

1 hour ago, jird said:

Poor Doc Baker. The only educated, single guy in town, and all the ladies acted like he didn't exist. He was there all the time and apparently neither Caroline nor Grace thought he was an option for Grace. Then smelly, drunk Mr. Edwards shows up and they leap on him like water in a desert!

That was odd....and then a young, pretty thing comes, she loves him but of course he's "late Fall" and she's Spring. Then there is NO ONE on God's green earth in all his travels that would like a kind doctor for a husband. I guess like the missing wife of Rev Alden, he didn't want to deal with another costar who would bring a different dimension to the character. Very lonely though for him.

Smelly, backwards and full of heart (and alcohol) Mr Edwards though had Grace all aflutter.  and a wife before that and a young blind girl who is of course too young for him. Only ML could have a real young bride/girlfriend, no one on the show.

Ms Beadle did get the pig farmer who was cute but yes the Doc never even thought to ask her for a date.

And don't get me on my heartthrob Chris who was run off, no woman anywhere could attract him, handsome, smart, good with kids and can build things quickly and just as good if not better than St Charles. Be still my heart...

[Blergh]

To be fair, it seemed  that Mr. Edwards had been perfectly clean and sober during his 1st union until his poor young wife and daughter abruptly died then he leaped full tilt off the water wagon!  Then, he seemed sober during his marriage to Grace until he got boozy again after John, Jr.'s death. However, he somehow ALWAYS seemed to wear the same plaid shirt.

Yes, I know that doctors had far tinier salaries in the 19th century (especially rural ones) compared to their contemporary counterparts but  it seemed that, apart from Mrs. Oleson's niece, Doc Baker got treated as though he was church mouse poor AND the Elephant Man's uglier bro!

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

To be fair, it seemed  that Mr. Edwards had been perfectly clean and sober during his 1st union until his poor young wife and daughter abruptly died then he leaped full tilt off the water wagon!  Then, he seemed sober during his marriage to Grace until he got boozy again after John, Jr.'s death. However, he somehow ALWAYS seemed to wear the same plaid shirt.

Yes, I know that doctors had far tinier salaries in the 19th century (especially rural ones) compared to their contemporary counterparts but  it seemed that, apart from Mrs. Oleson's niece, Doc Baker got treated as though he was church mouse poor AND the Elephant Man's uglier bro!

Yes Mr Edwards wore that same plaid shirt all the time except in church. Easy on the prop/costume department. ; )

Karen said he was VERY popular off the set so his charm was obvious to some, but even though doctor's didn't make the money they did now and he took eggs, etc. as payment, he was smart and educated and would have made a nice husband.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes Mr Edwards wore that same plaid shirt all the time except in church. Easy on the prop/costume department. ; )

Karen said he was VERY popular off the set so his charm was obvious to some, but even though doctor's didn't make the money they did now and he took eggs, etc. as payment, he was smart and educated and would have made a nice husband.

Miss Grassle and, I think, Miss Stewart sung his praises over the fact that he was raising his son solo for most of the kid's childhood. Thus, in hindsight, it's a bit surprising that ML didn't have Mr. Hagen's character have also been a single parent even if he didn't want Doc married. I mean, depite Harriet Oleson and Isaiah Edwards having (for very different reasons) having somewhat proven to have been. .. imperfect parents, ML nonetheless gave each of them the chance to be foster/adoptive parents a 2ND time towards the end of the series. Yet, he  couldn't have had Doc Baker attempt to sire offspring, adopt a related or unrelated orphan  or even to mentor a live-in protege (as many doctors did back then).  What gives?

Edited June 11, 2023 by Blergh

[Egg McMuffin]

Maybe Doc Baker was into dudes.

[jason88cubs]

16 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Maybe Doc Baker was into dudes.

Oh what a episode that would be!  A bunch of rough men refuse to be treated by a gay doctor, even Harriet is disgusted. Doc Baker goes to quit. Charles jumps off his own house to break ribs and has to have emergency surgery to show everyone HE'S not afraid of a gay doctor. Then Charles ridicules everyone and everyone says sorry to the doctor

[Blergh]

Maybe add the twist that one or all of the 'rough' men has been crushing on the Doc but Doc doesn't find him/them interesting and THAT is the true source of their hostility towards him.

Seriously, while I can't imagine ML would have attempted any storylines about LGTPQ folks in the 1970's or 80's, he might have written something like this had were he still living at this time.

[debraran]

8 hours ago, Blergh said:

Maybe add the twist that one or all of the 'rough' men has been crushing on the Doc but Doc doesn't find him/them interesting and THAT is the true source of their hostility towards him.

Seriously, while I can't imagine ML would have attempted any storylines about LGTPQ folks in the 1970's or 80's, he might have written something like this had were he still living at this time.

I think so, they were the minority with racism many times, Native American's were respected, feared to some degree, but not hated by Charles.  He stuck up for immigrants who were smart but just didn't know the language. I could see him hiding a gay guy that the "manly cowboys" wanted to kill. Not then, but in a new show where he is saving people after being an angel. ; )

 

[Blergh]

Considering that he did the whole Albert Morphine Addict after one of his children had had substance abuse issues, I think it's possible that (had he lived longer ) ML may have penned a somewhat sympathetic script about some of the issues the LGBTQ have faced since one of his RL sons( Christopher) has publicly identified as such in 1999.

Of course, one might wonder if he'd ever attempted to do so  for LHOTP in the 1970's or 80's but was given a big fat N-O by NBC ....

Edited June 13, 2023 by Blergh

[BusterHymen]

Quick fun fact! Reverend Alden (Dabbs Greer) was also the Reverend on the very first episode of the Brady Bunch! He was the preacher that married Mike and Carol Brady! I never realized that until now when I just got done watching Episode 1 (The Honeymoon) of the Brady Bunch. 

[BusterHymen]

On 5/19/2023 at 12:06 PM, Zella said:

Logic/consistency and late LHOTP are like oil and water. 

These TV movies have to be seen to be believed. As batshit crazy and nonsensical as season 9 is, they're even more batshit and crazy and nonsensical. 

Well Zella...You tried to warn me...LOL...Just got done watching the last three movies of LHOTP (season 10)...I still have a few more random thoughts about the end of season 9...I found it kind of funny when Willie chose Mr. Edwards to be his best man when through the first 9 seasons they hardly said one word to each other! Did they become best friends over night? Laura is still insufferable, annoying, and every bit as immature as she was as a child. Yelling, screaming, cursing, swearing, etc. at Doc Baker when her son died as if it was his fault?!...really??!!...and true to LHOTP manuscript, we go through all of the crappy, nonsensical bullshit decorum motions of her and everyone else at Walnut Grove apologizing to Doc Baker, and saying what a great man he is, and how many lives he has saved during the past 20+ years, etc...again, why is all of this melodrama necessary in the first place? why would she even doubt him? he wasn't at fault and didn't anything wrong...Little Rose getting kidnapped and everyone is hysterical, angry, upset, etc. and then at the end when they finally found the lady responsible just a quick few apologies and all is forgiven and no charges filed?!!...WTF?!...The only saving grace was Mr. Montague (I actually thought he was a breath of fresh air...loved his egocentric, charming, arrogant, know-it-all character) dressing up as Santa Claus and giving the whole Carter family presents and making their Christmas wonderful. I will be very brief with the farewell episode...it sucked monkey ass! ridiculous and stupid plot (even by LHOTP standards). First and foremost, anyone that owned property had to have a deed, even back in those days. either that, or have some kind of parchment/claim filed in their name. No way in hell and utterly impossible for some greedy land developer to have legal claims of property in Walnut Grove and then some bullshit storyline about Sioux Indian Reservation confiscation?! again WTF?!!...translation: stupid unbelievable plot that didn't make any sense. strike one LHOTP!...furthermore, only the U.S. government could legally exercise Eminent Domain! not anyone else! that's strike two, LHOTP! and the final kicker....the U.S. Calvary (branch of the US Army) came to help evict the citizens of Walnut Grove??!!...really for fuk's sake??!!!...I was too busy crying from laughing so hard at this foolishness. NO, that's now how they operate! they fought to help settlers against Indians while we were still expanding as a country, and helped to fight in our countries wars against perceived enemies...they were NOT for hire by some greedy businessman to do his biding....strike three LHOTP, you're out!

[debraran]

1 hour ago, BusterHymen said:

Quick fun fact! Reverend Alden (Dabbs Greer) was also the Reverend on the very first episode of the Brady Bunch! He was the preacher that married Mike and Carol Brady! I never realized that until now when I just got done watching Episode 1 (The Honeymoon) of the Brady Bunch. 

I remember that! But I didn't know this bit of trivia:

He played the first person saved by Superman in the very first episode of the Adventures of Superman (1952) television series. His role was uncredited. He was brought back to appear in a major role as an innocent man about to go to the electric chair in the first episode of the second season. He appeared for a third time in one of the final episodes of the series.

"Married" two of the most well-known couples on television. On The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) he played the army chaplain who married Rob and Laura Petrie, and on The Brady Bunch (1969) he played the minister who married Mike and Carol Brady.

Brady on left, Dick Van Dyke on right

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by debraran

[debraran]

 

The FIRST man Superman saved, such a varied career. ; )

Edited June 13, 2023 by debraran

[Zella]

3 hours ago, BusterHymen said:

Well Zella...You tried to warn me...LOL...Just got done watching the last three movies of LHOTP (season 10)...I still have a few more random thoughts about the end of season 9...I found it kind of funny when Willie chose Mr. Edwards to be his best man when through the first 9 seasons they hardly said one word to each other! Did they become best friends over night? Laura is still insufferable, annoying, and every bit as immature as she was as a child. Yelling, screaming, cursing, swearing, etc. at Doc Baker when her son died as if it was his fault?!...really??!!...and true to LHOTP manuscript, we go through all of the crappy, nonsensical bullshit decorum motions of her and everyone else at Walnut Grove apologizing to Doc Baker, and saying what a great man he is, and how many lives he has saved during the past 20+ years, etc...again, why is all of this melodrama necessary in the first place? why would she even doubt him? he wasn't at fault and didn't anything wrong...Little Rose getting kidnapped and everyone is hysterical, angry, upset, etc. and then at the end when they finally found the lady responsible just a quick few apologies and all is forgiven and no charges filed?!!...WTF?!...The only saving grace was Mr. Montague (I actually thought he was a breath of fresh air...loved his egocentric, charming, arrogant, know-it-all character) dressing up as Santa Claus and giving the whole Carter family presents and making their Christmas wonderful. I will be very brief with the farewell episode...it sucked monkey ass! ridiculous and stupid plot (even by LHOTP standards). First and foremost, anyone that owned property had to have a deed, even back in those days. either that, or have some kind of parchment/claim filed in their name. No way in hell and utterly impossible for some greedy land developer to have legal claims of property in Walnut Grove and then some bullshit storyline about Sioux Indian Reservation confiscation?! again WTF?!!...translation: stupid unbelievable plot that didn't make any sense. strike one LHOTP!...furthermore, only the U.S. government could legally exercise Eminent Domain! not anyone else! that's strike two, LHOTP! and the final kicker....the U.S. Calvary (branch of the US Army) came to help evict the citizens of Walnut Grove??!!...really for fuk's sake??!!!...I was too busy crying from laughing so hard at this foolishness. NO, that's now how they operate! they fought to help settlers against Indians while we were still expanding as a country, and helped to fight in our countries wars against perceived enemies...they were NOT for hire by some greedy businessman to do his biding....strike three LHOTP, you're out!

Those movies truly have to be seen to be believed. People tried to warn me too and I assumed they were bad, but that description doesn’t do them justice. I watch a lot of TV and can't think of anything that goes off the rails like those TV movies.

The kidnapping one is what really got me. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

9 hours ago, Zella said:

Those movies truly have to be seen to be believed. People tried to warn me too and I assumed they were bad, but that description doesn’t do them justice. I watch a lot of TV and can't think of anything that goes off the rails like those TV movies.

The kidnapping one is what really got me. 

The spotlight from Heaven is really, really something. It continues what the Schlong of Healing started. 

[BusterHymen]

6 hours ago, Superclam said:

The spotlight from Heaven is really, really something. It continues what the Schlong of Healing started. 

Exactly right Superclam...I mean where all of the guardian angels when you need them?...and just to stick to good spirits and the humor of this thread and as others have mentioned, the only thing that would have been a fitting end and cherry on top in the Farewell episode when they blow the town up at the end is if one piece of shrapnel would have hit Charles and wound up somehow breaking his ribs again! 

[CountryGirl]

The insta-forgiveness of crazy Rose-napper including the “Here, take this orphan kid we don’t need now that we have Rose-Mullet back” nonsense edged out Blow Up The Town For No Good Reason and Drip Lip’s Nosebleed of Doom for worst movie. 

[Zella]

3 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

The insta-forgiveness of crazy Rose-napper

Yeah maybe it landed differently in the early 80s--though I doubt it--but as someone who reads a lot of true crime and is familiar with several cases of women who've murdered mothers for their kids, including an instance that happened the next county over from me, I was absolutely appalled their reaction was to just shrug off all the incredibly alarming things she did and give her a kid and act like that was HEA. 

[BusterHymen]

40 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

The insta-forgiveness of crazy Rose-napper including the “Here, take this orphan kid we don’t need now that we have Rose-Mullet back” nonsense edged out Blow Up The Town For No Good Reason and Drip Lip’s Nosebleed of Doom for worst movie. 

short, quick, straightforward, and to the point! nice balance of truth and humor...I like your style, CountryGirl!

[BusterHymen]

37 minutes ago, Zella said:

Yeah maybe it landed differently in the early 80s--though I doubt it--but as someone who reads a lot of true crime and is familiar with several cases of women who've murdered mothers for their kids, including an instance that happened the next county over from me, I was absolutely appalled their reaction was to just shrug off all the incredibly alarming things she did and give her a kid and act like that was HEA. 

I was going to mention the orphan boy as well but the only reason I didn't was because he genuinely wanted to be adopted by a family and didn't want to go back to the orphanage. He said he was going to run away if forced to go back. Considering the lesser of the two evils, it was probably best for all parties involved for him to go to a family that will love him and give him a decent life. Having said that, let's be perfectly clear. That still doesn't absolve the psychopath Rose-Napper of any wrongdoing! there should have been some harsh consequences for her actions. 

[Zella]

6 minutes ago, BusterHymen said:

I was going to mention the orphan boy as well but the only reason I didn't was because he genuinely wanted to be adopted by a family and didn't want to go back to the orphanage. He said he was going to run away if forced to go back. Considering the lesser of the two evils, it was probably best for all parties involved for him to go to a family that will love him and give him a decent life. Having said that, let's be perfectly clear. That still doesn't absolve the psychopath Rose-Napper of any wrongdoing! there should have been some harsh consequences for her actions. 

That's fair. I just seriously have my doubts that someone who'd behaved that erratically was going to be a stable parent or that that level of crazy she'd displayed was going to just magically disappear once she got a kid.

Clearly the best solution was for Pa to bring another kid home to be raised by the most upstanding citizen in Minnesota! 😁

Edited June 14, 2023 by Zella

[Egg McMuffin]

13 hours ago, BusterHymen said:

That still doesn't absolve the psychopath Rose-Napper of any wrongdoing! there should have been some harsh consequences for her actions. 

At the very least, they should have given her Nancy to adopt instead.

[BusterHymen]

12 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

At the very least, they should have given her Nancy to adopt instead.

that definitely would have been some just deserts and comeuppance!

[jason88cubs]

[jird]

Just turned on the TV and it's the last few minutes of the Schlong of Healing episode. With exceptionally bad special effects (not something we usually have to say about Little House!)

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm watching the end of it right now. Charles' beard is an exceptionally bad special effect. 

 

Also, I happen to be a masonry engineer by trade, and I know that the Schlong of Healing itself appears to be about 25 years old. 

[Egg McMuffin]

Why didn’t Charles build a Scholong of Healing to cure Mary’s blindness? If I were her, I’d be pissed.

[jird]

16 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Why didn’t Charles build a Scholong of Healing to cure Mary’s blindness? If I were her, I’d be pissed.

Or for Albert's fatal nosebleeds?

[Egg McMuffin]

Charles knew deep down that a Scholong of Healing wouldn’t work for Albert, who killed Mary’s baby and Alice Garvey.

[Blergh]

9 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Charles knew deep down that a Scholong of Healing wouldn’t work for Albert, who killed Mary’s baby and Alice Garvey.

It probably would have worked better than the Dunk Tank of Shame did on Nancy! Of course, it was only after the Olesons found out that she'd evidently lied about having been abused by her mother (who'd , in fact, died giving birth to her)  that Harriet wanted to punish her at all- and first proposed just sending her to bed without. .. dessert!  Laura's [allegedly] wiser and cooler head prevailed, and voila the Dunk Tank of Shame with Harriet aiming straight at the lever. Of course, IIRC, Harriet just vented about how rotten Nancy was for not loving HER- neither she nor anyone else brought up the fact that Nancy had tricked others to lock the ice house door to deliberately  leave a one-shot girl trapped inside who only got saved from dying of exposure to cold by chance JUST because Willie and Albert were paying more attention to this girl than to HER.  Yep, as per Harriet and the others,  lying about one's childhood seemed to be far more of a serious transgression than attempting to have another person murdered!

Of course, the Dunking just exposed Nancy to the Walnut Grove citizenry as  wet liar but didn't prompt her to do a 180 re being a spiteful and entitled brat! Brilliant idea, Laura!

[debraran]

8 minutes ago, Blergh said:

It probably would have worked better than the Dunk Tank of Shame did on Nancy! Of course, it was only after the Olesons found out that she'd evidently lied about having been abused by her mother (who'd , in fact, died giving birth to her)  that Harriet wanted to punish her at all- and first proposed just sending her to bed without. .. dessert!  Laura's [allegedly] wiser and cooler head prevailed, and voila the Dunk Tank of Shame with Harriet aiming straight at the lever. Of course, IIRC, Harriet just vented about how rotten Nancy was for not loving HER- neither she nor anyone else brought up the fact that Nancy had tricked others to lock the ice house door to deliberately  leave a one-shot girl trapped inside who only got saved from dying of exposure to cold by chance JUST because Willie and Albert were paying more attention to this girl than to HER.  Yep, as per Harriet and the others,  lying about one's childhood seemed to be far more of a serious transgression than attempting to have another person murdered!

Of course, the Dunking just exposed Nancy to the Walnut Grove citizenry as  wet liar but didn't prompt her to do a 180 re being a spiteful and entitled brat! Brilliant idea, Laura!

Nancy had to be when Michael was busy with gossip and marriage woes, it was just so awful.  Being a man who adopted and was not against adoption, he showed Albert but was Nancy was warning to anyone thinking of it? Nothing the girl did was kind and she was a psychopath in the sense she couldn't feel for anyone but herself. You could see she'd sell Harriet off if someone came around to give her more, she learned how to act to get responses she wanted. Nellie was spoiled and a brat but it wasn't from birth. Willie was raised the same way and both matured. Nancy had no redeeming qualities. If you don't care if you kill someone, all the dunking in the world wont change you. It wasn't even impulsive like hitting someone which could happen, she planned it with her.

Edited June 16, 2023 by debraran

[Egg McMuffin]

And Nels, a genuinely kind man, did not like Nancy. At all. That was kind of odd and disturbing to see on a family show - a parent having no love for their own kid. But Nels had no say in adopting the girl; it was all Harriet.

The only time Nancy was written well was in one of the last episodes, where Willie gets married. Nancy is excited to be part of the wedding and seems relatively normal. The actress was capable of playing a mischievous, comic character. Too bad they saddled her with a such an awful characterization most of the time.

Does Allison Balson (Nancy) ever speak about the show? Melissas Gilbert and Anderson and Alison Arngrim have written books. I don’t see Jason Bateman talking much about it, but Melissa Francis (Cassandra), who is now a TV journalist, seems to fondly remember it. But I don’t recall seeing Allison Balson talking about it.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Egg McMuffin

[Blergh]

I have to admit that I felt sorry for Nancy when she dressed up as a ringmaster to present the 'trick' of a performer bursting out of burning haystack but, of course, it went horribly wrong with the performer getting overwhelmed by  the heat and smoke from within and burning to death in front of the entire crowd!  Even Nancy actually seemed to be horrified at that outcome despite (because?) of the fact that the performer had had nothing to do with her beforehand.

Of course, the performer had been a bully who'd just disowned one of his sons for NOT wanting to follow in the 'family tradition'  (but had successfully survived that stunt on countless occasions). Yet the 'prodigal' son somehow returned from his 'exile' to give comfort to the performer's shattered widow and younger son! I wonder if ML was trying to say something about pride going before the fall (as well as destroying filial bonds) and/or not quitting while ahead!

[jason88cubs]

I know nothing about Nancy. I always stop watching after season 5 usually

[Zella]

19 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

I know nothing about Nancy. I always stop watching after season 5 usually

You have done yourself a great favor and a great mercy.

[jason88cubs]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

You have done yourself a great favor and a great mercy.

I plan on watching the series in order at some point so I will get there!

[Mr. Sparkle]

I can watch through season 7, usually. As soon as James and Cassandra show up, I'm done. 

[jason88cubs]

I will say I do like the season 8 episode "The Legacy"

 

First time I saw the opening i was so confused!

 

 

 

so funny ^

[debraran]

14 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

And Nels, a genuinely kind man, did not like Nancy. At all. That was kind of odd and disturbing to see on a family show - a parent having no love for their own kid. But Nels had no say in adopting the girl; it was all Harriet.

The only time Nancy was written well was in one of the last episodes, where Willie gets married. Nancy is excited to be part of the wedding and seems relatively normal. The actress was capable of playing a mischievous, comic character. Too bad they saddled her with a such an awful characterization most of the time.

Does Allison Balson (Nancy) ever speak about the show? Melissas Gilbert and Anderson and Alison Arngrim have written books. I don’t see Jason Bateman talking much about it, but Melissa Francis (Cassandra), who is now a TV journalist, seems to fondly remember it. But I don’t recall seeing Allison Balson talking about it.

It doesn"t seem like she wants to talk about her short stint on the show. All her web pages and few interviews are about music or other things she is doing. I suppose any interview would be hard about LHOP because she was awful in every episode. Nellie was at least funny at times.

The wedding was sweet but it was "all about her" and she dumped her mom to go of course. Not the actress's fault it was so bad, but I hope she got a little money to help in other endeavors. I'm sure I'm not the only fan that turns it to another channel if I see her on.

I think ML must have wanted to kill the show then....or he was in another head space.

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, debraran said:

I think ML must have wanted to kill the show then

This wouldn't surprise me at all. I feel like some of the weirder and more obnoxious turns in the late stages of the series make a lot more sense from that perspective. It doesn't justify them or make them work any better, but I just can't fathom how someone who was still wanting the show to be what it was would have signed off on those decisions. 

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

This wouldn't surprise me at all. I feel like some of the weirder and more obnoxious turns in the late stages of the series make a lot more sense from that perspective. It doesn't justify them or make them work any better, but I just can't fathom how someone who was still wanting the show to be what it was would have signed off on those decisions. 

Tax loss write-offs, perhaps?

Don't forget at the time  ML had quit performing on LHOTP on a regular basis to produce the vehicle for  Merlin Olsen  Father Murphy ( which, like Victor French's Carter Country stint, is IMO simply  best left forgotten).

[debraran]

Yes, to say I blew up the town because ratings kept falling was a big "duh" . Of course they did. The bright idea of a orangutan in Walnut Grove, a sociopath, the Carter's squeezing into the Ingall's home with all their stuff wasn't a pull for fans? You pulled your family to work in the "big, bad city" and the only way the fans saw a glimpse of the old show, was Albert puking for an hour and then better, but at least you got to see them home.

So many things he didn't want, Alison was written off and given a bad wig, (really bad) and he could have done something with her and Percival and Willie. Willie and Rachel could have moved into the LHOP cabin, that would have been sweet, he gets the WHOLE house. ; ) Mike just didn't want to do it anymore and from the acting, neither did the ones left. He had a good core but let the stories get stale and dry and brought in way to many kids and extras thinking they would help. They don't, the fans liked the Ingall's and he mistakenly thought any cute kid will do. He reused scripts, how many bad newspapers can we have? (I realize the tabloids killed him, but that was a consequence of his behavior being a star)

We will always have the first 5 seasons but I really hate how he ended it. Maybe just having it end with them moving and leaving the cabin empty for visits or having doc or someone there buy it, would have been better. He hated movies done later about the show but still would have left it open. He could have taken down the set if he didn't want anyone using it. So silly.

[Mr. Sparkle]

29 minutes ago, debraran said:

The bright idea of a orangutan in Walnut Grove, a sociopath, the Carter's squeezing into the Ingall's home with all their stuff wasn't a pull for fans?

Ironically, the orangutan was the best of those 3. 

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

Ironically, the orangutan was the best of those 3. 

Likely because it was a broad comic scenario that lasted only ONE episode while the other two ideas were permanent millstones to the show's last gasp!

[Mr. Sparkle]

By "sociopath" do you mean the Robert Loggia one? That one was pretty bad. 

Looking at the list of episodes, I think I like the 9th season a little more than the 8th season. Both have clunkers, but the 9th season has some slightly better episodes. The 8th also has more Nancy and the Schlong of Healing. I can skip the Carters completely, though. 

[Blergh]

14 minutes ago, Superclam said:

By "sociopath" do you mean the Robert Loggia one? That one was pretty bad. 

Looking at the list of episodes, I think I like the 9th season a little more than the 8th season. Both have clunkers, but the 9th season has some slightly better episodes. The 8th also has more Nancy and the Schlong of Healing. I can skip the Carters completely, though. 

I don't claim to be speaking for @debraran but I think it's likely she considers Nancy (who tried to deliberately have another girl killed) to have been a sociopath. Although, I would agree with you that Robert Loggia's character (who crippled his wife after attempting to murder her and their daughter then held Laura and Jenny hostage deluding himself that THEY were his wife and daughter) was a sociopath, at least he was a one-shot (figuratively not literally) unlike Nancy!

FWIW, while I agreed with ML that the rags unfairly ragged upon him and, especially, his family. I have to say that ML himself was more unfair to his family by the 2nd Mrs. Landon  (who'd not chosen to be famous) by putting them through the whole adulterous bond deal . Moreover, ML  didn't seem to get that, having consistently opted to depict literally larger-than-life righteous heroes from Bonanza onward instead of cheaters, drunkards and/or bums, he somewhat handed the rags extra ammo to use against him when it was found out that he'd fallen off the fidelity wagon. In retrospect, it's somewhat amazing that they somehow continued to preserve the illusion that ML as every bit as sober as Pa Ingalls and it would only be long after his death via cast members' bios that his actual alcoholism would be revealed (and it seemed a virtual onset open secret if not in Hollywood itself) .

[Egg McMuffin]

Every show has a natural lifespan. The great thing about early LHOTP is the cast of characters had a little something for the entire family: you had the relationship between Charles and Caroline  and Charles and Isaiah for the adults; Laura, Mary, Nellie, and Willie for the kids; comic relief in the form of Nels and Harriet; and sturdy support from Doc Baker, Rev Alden, and Miss Beadle. The whole thing felt organic. And the cast had great chemistry.

Later on, when cast members grew up and/or left, they started bringing in all those clones. It started with Jon and Alice Garvey, a big step down from the Edwards clan. But it soon got worse with Nancy, Cassandra, Miss Plum, Jenny, the Carters, etc. It didn’t feel organic at all; they just plugged similar characters into the holes left by others and hoped the chemistry would be the same. It wasn’t.

Landon really amped up the melodrama in these later years, too. Early LHOTP had its share, but because it was used relatively sparingly, and it was more impactful. Later, the tragedies were just constant: Albert burning down the blind school and killing Mary’s baby and Alice Garvey; Sylvia getting raped and climbing up a Ladder of Doom; James getting shot and Charles willing a miracle; Jenny almost drowning (twice, I think); Almanzo suffering a stroke; a tornado destroying the house; Rose getting kidnapped; etc. The more tragedies that happened, the less impactful they were. It was kind of like the later years of “Melrose Place,” where they kept trying to top the genuinely fun twist of Kimberly coming back from the dead. They were never able to.