Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[CountryGirl]

This is so bad, but I can't see Johnny (in JJ). I can only see Fugly Johnson.

Speaking of old Fug, what was with Laura and her befriending age-inappropriate men? Which, Fug wasn't that much older, but I'm thinking of Mr. Pike (The Haunted House), Buzzbee (My Ellen), Mr. Sprague (Ebenezer Sprague), Zachariah (Gold Country).

Oh wait, I forgot one. 

Almanzo. 😁

33 minutes ago, jird said:

Just noticed that Johnny Johnson taking Laura to the sweetheart tree so he could show her how much he liked Mary was very much like Harv Miller inviting Eliza Jane to dinner to tell her he was in love with someone else.

Harv was such an ass. How could he NOT know she was falling for him and I always felt like he did know, at least a little bit, and just rode the ego-stroking until he found someone else.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

This is so bad, but I can't see Johnny (in JJ). I can only see Fugly Johnson.

Speaking of old Fug, what was with Laura and her befriending age-inappropriate men? Which, Fug wasn't that much older, but I'm thinking of Mr. Pike (The Haunted House), Buzzbee (My Ellen), Mr. Sprague (Ebenezer Sprague), Zachariah (Gold Country).

Oh wait, I forgot one. 

Almanzo. 😁

Harv was such an ass. How could he NOT know she was falling for him and I always felt like he did know, at least a little bit, and just rode the ego-stroking until he found someone else.

Sometimes guys are clueless if they don't like you, just don't want to see it, while others think every woman likes him even when they don't . ; P 

I did like the kid who played Mary's love interest before she went blind, Seth? She had the more dashing of the two in boyfriends. ; )

I don't even watch Johnny Johnson one because he always gave me the willies for some reason.

 

[CountryGirl]

Seth could get it.

As could Patrick (and not the Bobby Brady Patrick):

Although his TV brother Cass could have given Fugly a run for his money.

I hated Mary in this episode. Ditches Patrick for Cass until the very end when she realizes what an ass Cass is. If I had been Patrick, I would have been all "bye Felicia."

[debraran]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

Seth could get it.

As could Patrick (and not the Bobby Brady Patrick):

Although his TV brother Cass could have given Fugly a run for his money.

I hated Mary in this episode. Ditches Patrick for Cass until the very end when she realizes what an ass Cass is. If I had been Patrick, I would have been all "bye Felicia."

Yea, the writers had her turn pretty quickly. Carrie had a nice part, or the small person who stood in for her.

With the more helicopter parenting today, it always amazes me how often kids are left alone or alone so young on the show.  Kids who are left alone today at that age can get parents in trouble, and there, they are keeping house while Pa and Ma went to Mankato for the weekend.  lol  Of course they married very young too.

I remember Kevin Hagan joking about Doc Baker in all his travels, never could find a widow or someone to spend time with. Even Mr Hansen who owned the mill was without a partner. I reality they would have been married or remarried pretty quickly.

Edited May 14, 2020 by debraran

[jird]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I remember Kevin Hagan joking about Doc Baker in all his travels, never could find a widow or someone to spend time with. Even Mr Hansen who owned the mill was without a partner. I reality they would have been married or remarried pretty quickly.

Seriously, Walnut Grove was hurting for single men, as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Edwards was able to snag Grace as soon as he came to town! I just watched that episode, and your post makes me wonder why Grace and Doc Baker never got together before then.

[Snow Apple]

21 minutes ago, jird said:

Seriously, Walnut Grove was hurting for single men, as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Edwards was able to snag Grace as soon as he came to town! I just watched that episode, and your post makes me wonder why Grace and Doc Baker never got together before then.

Right? Now I love Mr. Edwards but Grace and Doc seemed to have more in common. Both living a quiet and dignified life.

But I perhaps we all like a bit of a bad boy. LOL

[CountryGirl]

42 minutes ago, jird said:

Seriously, Walnut Grove was hurting for single men, as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Edwards was able to snag Grace as soon as he came to town! I just watched that episode, and your post makes me wonder why Grace and Doc Baker never got together before then.

Well, Doc did have a short romance with Harriet's niece aka Anne Archer. 

[debraran]

32 minutes ago, jird said:

Seriously, Walnut Grove was hurting for single men, as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Edwards was able to snag Grace as soon as he came to town! I just watched that episode, and your post makes me wonder why Grace and Doc Baker never got together before then.

Granted he was paid in chickens often but still had more money than most. He was educated and they could have a more comfortable life.

I love Mr Edwards but is it just me that wonders if that checkered shirt is attached to him? He might have worn something else once, it's always seems dirty even in church and even Pa would change into 2 or 3. Maybe the "single" part meant he didn't have a woman to fuss over him that way. lol

Rev Alden finally got a wife (although Harriot was angry) but he wasn't a priest and there was no reason he didn't find someone sooner either.

Looks aside, if you didn't want a farmer for a husband and worry about crops, they were good catches. ; ) 

 

 

[debraran]

5 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Well, Doc did have a short romance with Harriet's niece aka Anne Archer. 

So happy ....

[BigBingerBro]

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Speaking of old Fug, what was with Laura and her befriending age-inappropriate men? Which, Fug wasn't that much older, but I'm thinking of Mr. Pike (The Haunted House), Buzzbee (My Ellen), Mr. Sprague (Ebenezer Sprague), Zachariah (Gold Country).

Also there was Jason in The Talking Machine who seemed at least 3 years older if not more...

[jird]

17 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

Also there was Jason in The Talking Machine who seemed at least 3 years older if not more...

And Laura's parents never cared that she was hanging out with old men. Like, she didn't know Mr. Sprague's NAME, and her folks were all, "Hey, have fun spending all day at the creek with some adult man we don't know, who must not live in town."

[debraran]

I was watching the show with Albert getting leukemia while exercising and besides the confusing he died/he came back to Walnut Grove voice over in another show, it seemed like deja vu with this same doctor office it seemed, the window, rain, doctor telling Charles and Caroline that Charles Jr was going to "go to sleep" His blood count was changing by the hour, he had a blood disease they knew about and couldn't cure. No thoughts on that with Albert or even a throw away line about hearing it before, but he certainly understood it.

Karen didn't want to play "Ma" anymore so Albert not wanting his mom watching him die was the best they could do with that.  It did seem glaring at times that only Charles visited Walnut Grove and Ma was always "working".

 

 

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

Karen didn't want to play "Ma" anymore so Albert not wanting his mom watching him die was the best they could do with that.  It did seem glaring at times that only Charles visited Walnut Grove and Ma was always "working".

 

 

Glaring is the right word. Ma would have moved heaven and earth to be there for Albert's final days no matter what Albert tells her about not wanting to burden her. 

[CountryGirl]

There is no way Ma wouldn't have been there when Albert finally succumbed to his Nosebleed of Doom.

See also Dylan "I Want to See the Ocean" Whittaker.

And yes, the lack of continuity on this show with Laura's voiceover at the end of the Albert Barfs Up Drugs two-parter that he returned to Walnut Grove years later as Dr. Albert Ingalls.

 

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Glaring is the right word. Ma would have moved heaven and earth to be there for Albert's final days no matter what Albert tells her about not wanting to burden her. 

Maybe she'd finally had enough of his crap.

[debraran]

2 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

There is no way Ma wouldn't have been there when Albert finally succumbed to his Nosebleed of Doom.

See also Dylan "I Want to See the Ocean" Whittaker.

And yes, the lack of continuity on this show with Laura's voiceover at the end of the Albert Barfs Up Drugs two-parter that he returned to Walnut Grove years later as Dr. Albert Ingalls.

 

That was odd, no one has really explained it. Mr Landon never would get away with that stuff now with the Internet and fans being able to tell him things only letters did before. Why Albert had to die is beyond me, we know they had hard times, but he gets a scholarship and he dies, the show was going off, let it be. He seemed to care more about the tears than the subject matter. He said he didn't realize the hate from blowing up Walnut Grove. What? You thought fans would like that? He left the church not to upset folks who would think it was too much and immoral and the little house, because well, he knew they would have revolted! : ) The guy who played Mr Carter still has it in his barn.

I like how he would give work to some guest stars but when the same person is back playing 3 or 4 parts, it's silly.  Even the nice shop owner who gets Charles to take Albert home when he's addicted, and drops the charges, later he is in the furniture show, where Charles makes tables. I thought it was the same person but he had a different name. (he dies and Charles doesn't want to end up the same way)  Why not just have old friends crop up now and then.

I think "Uncle Jed" was the most used:

Little House on the Prairie (TV Series)
Jed Cooper / Zachariah / St. Peter / ...

- Uncle Jed (1982) ... Jed Cooper

- The Lost Ones: Part 1 (1981) ... Jed Cooper

- The Godsister (1978) ... St. Peter (as E.J. Andre)

- Gold Country (1977) ... Zachariah

- Going Home (1976) ... Matthew Simms (as E.J. Andre)

- His Father's Son (1976) ... Amos Thoms (as E.J. Andre)

 

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by debraran

[CountryGirl]

Wow, Uncle Jed was used a lot and before he was "Uncle Jed."

It also grated that ML used Kyle Richards ,who had almost two dozen episodes as Alicia Sanderson Edwards, in a S5 episode as a completely different character. 

Not sure which bugged me more, the recycling (see also Matthew Laborteaux as young Charles in a few episodes and then he's cast as Albert) or the tertiary characters - see them once and never see them again -  ala Olga, stuttering Anna (well, except she also played young Caroline - see what I did there?), Laura's many beauxs like Henry, Jimmy, Jason (don't get me started on some of the anachronistic names). 

[debraran]

I can't speak French but my daughter said this man made a replica to live in of the LHOP home. It's not exact of course but pretty close and he put their initials on fireplace but china figurine seems the same. Just a cool thing I came across looking at some doll houses. "Nellie" visited too.

Written under "Yves Muller realized his dream in 2010: to build an exact replica of the famous house of the Ingalls, in his own garden, at Gaubiving in the Moselle, a few kilometers from Forbach. For this, it took a little more than a year and the collaboration of the whole family and friends."

http://inspirationsdeco.blogspot.com/2014/11/la-petite-maison-dans-la-prairie-made.html?m=1

Edited May 15, 2020 by debraran

[BigBingerBro]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

this man made a replica to live in of the LHOP home.

Wow that really looks like the actual house used on the show!  Cool to see Allison Arngrim there.  It's amazing how LHOTP has such a cult following in France.  Both times I went there, I watched some dubbed episodes being broadcast.  Very weird experience!

[Mr. Sparkle]

27 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

Cool to see Allison Arngrim there.

I totally missed that, even though it's written right there! 

That is amazing work. That house always looked so cramped and uncomfortable to me, but it's still an incredible replica. I wouldn't want to live there. 

[Snow Apple]

I love it. That house looks nice and cozy for one of two people. The house in the show looks difficult to clean but this one looks great.

I just hope one of the difference is a modern indoor bathroom.

[BigBingerBro]

I'm surprised they didn't do the kitchen extension that was shown on the show.  

[debraran]

10 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

I'm surprised they didn't do the kitchen extension that was shown on the show.  

How could he miss The Handyman” episode!  Lol.   Yes another American was trying to make replica but needed to find place to hide bathroom.  Side of extended kitchen would work. 

Someones mom made a doll house of cabin you can see online or YouTube and the roof lifts off.  Very cool, I would have Loved it as a kid.  I think it’s not so much the design they want but the feeling it evoked.

Not the best video but this guys mom made the house with kitchen and the one underneath made by someone else, doesn't have it. Lots of talent out there.

 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by debraran

[CountryGirl]

12 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

I'm surprised they didn't do the kitchen extension that was shown on the show.  

[Mr. Sparkle]

I wish Buck Rogers had some kind of following on here. I used to love that show! 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

He was cute, 77 now! Time flies.

[Snow Apple]

I'm watching the pilot movie right now and I'd forgotten how good it was. Especially compared to the final movie which I was yesterday. The final movie should have been special and heartwarming about Charles and Caroline's homecoming, but I thought the main story was boring and terrible. 

[debraran]

12 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I'm watching the pilot movie right now and I'd forgotten how good it was. Especially compared to the final movie which I was yesterday. The final movie should have been special and heartwarming about Charles and Caroline's homecoming, but I thought the main story was boring and terrible. 

It was, I cut it off to go for a walk, didn't want to see them blowing up things, but it should have been a goodbye and that's it. Taking their land, Caroline with a gun, people fretting throughout the whole show, it was not the best. Then after the walk, Laura was little again and she had "a window" and all was well in the world.  : )

 

[jird]

On 5/15/2020 at 2:10 PM, debraran said:

 

I think "Uncle Jed" was the most used:

Little House on the Prairie (TV Series)
Jed Cooper / Zachariah / St. Peter / ...

- Uncle Jed (1982) ... Jed Cooper

- The Lost Ones: Part 1 (1981) ... Jed Cooper

- The Godsister (1978) ... St. Peter (as E.J. Andre)

- Gold Country (1977) ... Zachariah

- Going Home (1976) ... Matthew Simms (as E.J. Andre)

- His Father's Son (1976) ... Amos Thoms (as E.J. Andre)

 

 

I think random grizzly guy (the one who I mostly remember calling Pa "Mr. Smart Brains" beats Uncle Jed!

- For the Love of Blanche (1983) ... Buffalo Bill

- Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow: Part 1 (1982) ... Old Timer

- The In-laws (1980) ... Kavendish

- The Return of Mr. Edwards (1979) ... Shorty

- Someone Please Love Me (1979) ... Gargan

- The High Cost of Being Right (1977) ... Judge Picker

- To Run and Hide (1977) ... Jed Haney

[debraran]

1 hour ago, jird said:

I think random grizzly guy (the one who I mostly remember calling Pa "Mr. Smart Brains" beats Uncle Jed!

- For the Love of Blanche (1983) ... Buffalo Bill

- Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow: Part 1 (1982) ... Old Timer

- The In-laws (1980) ... Kavendish

- The Return of Mr. Edwards (1979) ... Shorty

- Someone Please Love Me (1979) ... Gargan

- The High Cost of Being Right (1977) ... Judge Picker

- To Run and Hide (1977) ... Jed Haney

Yes, he was more forgettable but yes on a lot. One "extra" always had fun on the show, he was the one who was in the dining room of the restaurant complaining all the time.  Dan McBride was name.

[CountryGirl]

21 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes, he was more forgettable but yes on a lot. One "extra" always had fun on the show, he was the one who was in the dining room of the restaurant complaining all the time.  Dan McBride was name.

LOL. The guy Nellie threw a plate of bread at.

He was a PITA and I probably would have lost it on him, too.

[debraran]

I watched one yesterday where they go to Gold Country because of the rains (you knew this wasn't going to end well) I wondered when they just got up and left so many times, this show, the city, what did they do with the animals? The cow,chickens, oxen etc.  They seem to miraculously appear and disappear on will but maybe I miss something. ; )  Funny what bothers you when you watch a few times.  Even when they came back to Walnut Grove after leaving the city, they mentioned having to eat fish that night but then the barn was full again next episode. ;  ) They did some continuation with clothing this show, usually when new dishes etc are put in or an outfit, they disappear for the future. On the show where Caroline is jealous of Widow Thurman and thinks Charles likes her, she makes a pretty white blouse and she wore it in this Gold episode. First time I've seen that. 

Edited May 23, 2020 by debraran

[VCRTracking]

On 5/16/2020 at 7:00 AM, Superclam said:

I wish Buck Rogers had some kind of following on here. I used to love that show! 

Me too! It had the best opening credits. Erin Gray is still an incredible lady. Hawk was definitely the inspiration for Bird Person on Rick & Morty:

 

It is still crazy that there was a season where the family moved to a big western town. If you just decided to stop after watching the first two seasons and then checked back in to one of those episodes it'd be like "WTF? Is this the same show?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by VCRTracking

[Snow Apple]

What was the deal with moving to the big town only for everyone to move back to Walnut Grove? Was that always the plan or did they realize the audience hated it so that's why they moved back?

[Katy M]

48 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

What was the deal with moving to the big town only for everyone to move back to Walnut Grove? Was that always the plan or did they realize the audience hated it so that's why they moved back?

That had to be it.  Otherwise it was pretty pointless.  They could have got  Albert some other way.  I just love the way the entire town moved to that city and then moved back together.  Like that happens.

[Snow Apple]

13 minutes ago, Katy M said:

That had to be it.  Otherwise it was pretty pointless.  They could have got  Albert some other way.  I just love the way the entire town moved to that city and then moved back together.  Like that happens.

I know. They acted like that year never happened. How did they all get back their original homes and jobs? How did the Oleson's just went about their business with the store without missing a beat? 

It was like that year was the fevered dream of the entire town and which is never spoken of by silent agreement.

[BigBingerBro]

I thought I read something somewhere or heard on an interview that they needed to take a break from filming in Simi Valley, so they did the Winoka episodes which were filmed at a studio backlot.  Not sure the details of why exactly.   In regards to storyline, didn't the books also have Laura and fam moving to a somewhat bigger city for a period of time?

[Snow Apple]

26 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

I thought I read something somewhere or heard on an interview that they needed to take a break from filming in Simi Valley, so they did the Winoka episodes which were filmed at a studio backlot.  Not sure the details of why exactly.   In regards to storyline, didn't the books also have Laura and fam moving to a somewhat bigger city for a period of time?

In the books, they move frequency until they finally settle in DeSmet South Dakota in the book By The Shores of Silver Lake. They stayed at Pa's(?) store during several winters because it's safer to be in town near people and their house was still being built and flimsy, but it wasn't like in the show where they thought they'll never be back.

[debraran]

I think Michael was getting bored with Walnut Grove (and maybe fires, they had a few) I realized years later that only outside shots were done there, if they walk into church, the rest is done on set. That's why many goofs are hats on or off or other things fans catch at times. You had to be careful to match things up.  He brought a lot into the town, a circus, gypsies, a lot of characters but the city had more drama. One time Oleson's went also and I assumed they made money there since they could buy stock when they got back to Walnut Grove. Charles asked him to order seed  but not sure how'd he pay for it.  How anyone else had anything much was a little magic. The city was always "bad" and the only nice town Walnut Grove, perfect but I wish they didn't demonize cities that badly. You also could live away from the city a bit and not above a bar. ; )  It never felt right that Charles wanted to leave at the end and take his girls to the city to work in a hat shop, he went through so much before.. Even then, the boss had to be mean.  The Carters were nice though and seeing him and Caroline in their old home the last show, with so much stuff in it, just seemed weird. I remember thinking a little minimalism needed here. lol

Fans didn't like the shows at the end with just Laura. Michael blamed it on her being "too old" It was also bad scripts and bringing Nancy in.  The blowing up of buildings she said was done another day and their "reaction" shots were done later. I imagine insurance deemed that since it was real.

I don't want to watch the awful last show again but where were they all going singing "Onward Christian Soldier" when they blew everything up?

I did laugh reading this because I always thought it looked like that : Any dinner scene that showed some sort of generic meat and gravy on the family’s plates—regardless of whether Ma announced that it was rabbit, chicken, or squirrel—actually consisted of canned Dinty Moore brand beef stew. Those instances when Laura was seen pulling a drumstick out of her tin lunch pail at school? Well, those came not from the Ingalls’ chicken coop, but from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by debraran

[Snow Apple]

KFC! I guess that joke of "Colonel Sanders" showing up on one episode had more than one layer.

[BigBingerBro]

I wonder what Mr Edward's rattlesnake stew was actually made of...  Carrie (Greenbush twin) seemed to love it!

[debraran]

27 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

I wonder what Mr Edward's rattlesnake stew was actually made of...  Carrie (Greenbush twin) seemed to love it!

Melissa Gilbert said all of it was pretty good, the pies, etc. were real. I would have loved all those chocolate cakes. ; ) (take 7)

Liquor was sometimes real and "Pa" supposedly had some in his coffee cup on occasion. That might be why is was such a popular drink. lol

[Katy M]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

Fans didn't like the shows at the end with just Laura. Michael blamed it on her being "too old" It was also bad scripts and bringing Nancy in.  

Nancy was definitely not an asset.  

I don't think it was because she was "too old."  I think it was because she was acting like a little kid playing house.  Which I lay on the scripts' door, not MG.  Also, I didn't notice when I was a kid, but as an adult, I'm just not feeling Almonzo and Laura.  Maybe it's the age difference.  Maybe it's the writing.  Maybe it's lack of chemistry.  Maybe it's a combo of all 3.

If he thought age was a problem, he could have focused more on Jenny and the  Carter (?) boys.  I liked Jenny, but besides the orangutan thing I don't remember her getting into much hijinx. 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Nancy was definitely not an asset.  

I don't think it was because she was "too old."  I think it was because she was acting like a little kid playing house.  Which I lay on the scripts' door, not MG.  Also, I didn't notice when I was a kid, but as an adult, I'm just not feeling Almonzo and Laura.  Maybe it's the age difference.  Maybe it's the writing.  Maybe it's lack of chemistry.  Maybe it's a combo of all 3.

If he thought age was a problem, he could have focused more on Jenny and the  Carter (?) boys.  I liked Jenny, but besides the orangutan thing I don't remember her getting into much hijinx. 

You are correct about the Laura/Almanzo chemistry. She talked often about not wanting to do romantic scenes with him being older but also because they just didn't "click". One bio said :

A “secret” memo was circulated at one point discussing the romantic pairings on the show; Laura and Almanzo just didn’t look like they were in love, and couldn’t the actors do something to generate some “sparks” between the two of them? The same memo pointed out that when Nellie and Percival were together they “looked like they f*** like crazed weasels.” Unbeknownst to the production staff, Steve Tracy, who played Nellie’s husband Percival, was gay. But he and Alison Arngrim were great friends and used to swap passionate, open-mouth kisses during their love scenes just because they knew it grossed Melissa Gilbert out."

They also thought that Mary and John Jr didn't have any sparks but I didn't think much about them, they were so young. They both were studious.  Alison loved her scenes with Percival (Steve Tracy) and they stayed good friends after the show. His comic relief made me wish he kept them on instead of sending them to NYC.

Melissa Sue Anderson left because her blindness at that point was stopping any interesting scripts since they gave Adam his sight back. She was told 3 episodes in season 8 and that wasn't worth being locked into.

Melissa Gibert's scripts were so-so, she always seemed full of angst, hating to be home, wanting to write or teach and you couldn't blame her because Almonzo wasn't Charles. : )

 

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, debraran said:

You are correct about the Laura/Almanzo chemistry. She talked often about not wanting to do romantic scenes with him being older but also because they just didn't "click". One bio said :

A “secret” memo was circulated at one point discussing the romantic pairings on the show; Laura and Almanzo just didn’t look like they were in love, and couldn’t the actors do something to generate some “sparks” between the two of them? The same memo pointed out that when Nellie and Percival were together they “looked like they f*** like crazed weasels.” Unbeknownst to the production staff, Steve Tracy, who played Nellie’s husband Percival, was gay. But he and Alison Arngrim were great friends and used to swap passionate, open-mouth kisses during their love scenes just because they knew it grossed Melissa Gilbert out."

Yeah. I definitely don't blame her.  She was young.  16 or so when the Almonzo "romance" started.  And he's about 8 years older than her.  That's a lot for that age.

 

12 minutes ago, debraran said:

hey also thought that Mary and John Jr didn't have any sparks but I didn't think much about them, they were so young.

She was just 15 in his last episode.  Again, I didn't give it much thought as a little kid, but later as a teen, I often wondered what she thought of playing someone ready to get married at such a young age.  

14 minutes ago, debraran said:

Melissa Gibert's scripts were so-so, she always seemed full of angst, hating to be home, wanting to write or teach and you couldn't blame her because Almonzo wasn't Charles. : )

Even though you could make the case that she was being bratty in the episode, you can also excuse it because at least she had good reason, I really liked the episode where her son died.  I think Little House always did well with the sad episodes, while I don't think their comedic episodes always landed. I also love the episodes where Mary went blind.  OK, she was also being bratty.  

[debraran]

15 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Yeah. I definitely don't blame her.  She was young.  16 or so when the Almonzo "romance" started.  And he's about 8 years older than her.  That's a lot for that age.

 

She was just 15 in his last episode.  Again, I didn't give it much thought as a little kid, but later as a teen, I often wondered what she thought of playing someone ready to get married at such a young age.  

Even though you could make the case that she was being bratty in the episode, you can also excuse it because at least she had good reason, I really liked the episode where her son died.  I think Little House always did well with the sad episodes, while I don't think their comedic episodes always landed. I also love the episodes where Mary went blind.  OK, she was also being bratty.  

Mary was great and got an Emmy nomination. She was bratty but not like she was with other stories, the "I can't breathe"  lines hit home, I think I'd feel the same way if I woke up in the dark. When she threw her food and Adam said pretty much, "have fun cleaning it up". I liked the character growth but the marriage,baby and all that was too much. Re being 15, I remember him saying she'd have to wait until she was 15, a year and a half and I thought, she's 13 and getting engaged! No wonder they left them so young when they went on trips, they had to be ready for anything by preteen age. : ) Such a hard life, I think I'd rather work in the store like Harriot and have my husband cook most of the meals. lol

Melissa told Michael, please pecks on the cheeks or no big kisses with Dean. I thought Charles and Caroline had chemistry and she was perfect for the role. I wish they gave her more to do but later he tried to appease her with The Matter of Faith episodes and The Handyman which she said was a favorite. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by debraran

[Lisa418722]

It's interesting reading what everyone has to say about chemistry.  I remember watching this live as a pre-teen, I enjoyed the Laura/Almanzo relationship. Now, as a grown up, I cringe when I watch it.  What was I thinking??  

I liked the Nellie / Percival relationship and knowing now what was going on behind the scenes makes me enjoy it even more. AA and ST had enough of a sense of humor to be able to pull off their friendship and make it seem like a comfortable relationship. 

[debraran]

Karen gave an interview on her role here. This part she discussed her role and I felt as she did about the blowing up the town but some choices aren't yours. . I loved the Katherine Macgregor interview also. She didn't give many.:

 

 

[RedbirdNelly]

I tried recording the episode when the Ingalls go camping and for some reason the Olesons come with them ( I recall it being kind of funny). Instead I somehow got the episode of the spring dance where Laura has Willy fake being her boyfriend so some blond haired boy we never see again will ask her (and there is a similar storyline with Mr Edwards and the widow whatshername). I'm pretty sure in the dance scene at the end that a boy dancing in the background is the same actor who later is Albert. If I'm right, it raises again the reusing of certain actors for different roles--and why exactly. Seems like there would be room for some of those one and done characters to show up in the background from time to time instead of the same person playing different roles

 

[Katy M]

33 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I tried recording the episode when the Ingalls go camping and for some reason the Olesons come with them ( I recall it being kind of funny).

To refresh your memory, the kids had an assignment to collect leaves (not even identify or anything, just collect*), and when Nellie heard that the Ingalls were going camping, she was afraid that they would get more/better leaves than her and so demanded that her parents take them camping.  I felt bad for poor Nels.  He wanted nothing to do with the whole project.

*Nellie and Willie grabbed some poison ivy.  Laura knew what it was and didn't tell them even as she watched Mrs Olson rub it on her face.  Miss Beedle also apparently didn't know what it was because when the kids turned in their leaves she also rubbed it all over her face, IIRC.  I know she was at least handling it because you could tell Laura wanted to tell her, but it was too late.