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Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

Aethera

By Aethera
in Little House On The Prairie

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BigBingerBro

BigBingerBro

I always felt that Nels should have tipped off Charles about Laura's secret plan.  They could have then worked something out so that Laura could keep Bunny.  Nels spoiling Nellie is so hard to imagine considering how much more strict he got with the Olsen kids later in the series.

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jason88cubs
jason88cubs

Walnut Grove was  a nice quiet town, a town with happiness, a friendly town, with a wave and a smile. No tornadoes, no plagues, hardly any sickness. The one day it all changed. A creepy feeling crawle

Egg McMuffin
Egg McMuffin

WKRP creator Hugh Wilson spoke of his frustration at trying to beat Little House in the ratings. “Every time we gain on 'em, they set a house on fire or blind another child.”

Jacqs
Jacqs

We are still a family even though we are now just a thread. Just imagine us as now being Pa's two room shanty which he never bothered expanding, despite Grace, Albert, James, Cassandra etc...

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CountryGirl

CountryGirl

Nels delivered the stove on Christmas Eve with Caroline not able to sleep for wondering what was in the box. He came to collect Bunny on Christmas morning. 

I still think it wasn’t right for Nels to trade with Laura. She’s a child and not old enough to fully understand the consequences. It’s why minors cannot make contracts. Also, he knew Charles was doing the work with the wheels and the payment owed would be the amount of the stove + a little extra. In other words, he traded with Laura to give his spoiled brat a horse she’d go on to mistreat and abuse. 

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debraran

debraran

(edited)
2 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Nels delivered the stove on Christmas Eve with Caroline not able to sleep for wondering what was in the box. He came to collect Bunny on Christmas morning. 

I still think it wasn’t right for Nels to trade with Laura. She’s a child and not old enough to fully understand the consequences. It’s why minors cannot make contracts. Also, he knew Charles was doing the work with the wheels and the payment owed would be the amount of the stove + a little extra. In other words, he traded with Laura to give his spoiled brat a horse she’d go on to mistreat and abuse. 

I agree, way too big of a gift for her mother and although well meaning, lying to Charles and just negotiating with a little girl, a bit odd. Yes Nel's was fair but could you see if everyone did that? If I was her mom, I would have thanked her profusely but told her no animal can be sold without parental knowledge. They said that earlier to cover the improbability of it later. Remember when Laura threatened to give a puppy to her and her mom knew she wouldn't? But she gave her Bunny? And lastly Nels could buy Nellie any horse as they did with the race episode. She only wanted Bunny because Laura had it and she never had anything.

So like I said, for me, I liked the first show for Christmas the best but Plum Creek sure had its moments. The one they couldn't forget was sad in parts, I don't like seeing fake slavery with the nice owner who gave Hester Sue a spare doll. Almonzo's was funny but also a little sad. Caroline's was the best.

 

Edited by debraran
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debraran

debraran

(edited)
9 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

Was the blizzard before or after the Christmas episode?  She definitely should have been wearing it that day!

I don't think we ever see it hanging up or on her. It wasn't that attractive, I kept thinking how my dog would have ran off with it. ; )  (No disrespect to the time it takes to make a fur wrap)

They show shirts like Charle's plaid one made by Caroline and Mary and I think Caroline wore the pretty white blouse one more time from Handyman. Any other things, especially toys or books or hats or coats , glass plates, are not shown when not worn. Little house and it would look cluttered.

image.png.7b1ec3fd1fb77c1f0c13f619d4573257.png

 

Edited by debraran
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debraran

debraran

(edited)

I watched the Johnny Cash episode in a carb daze but really like it. The one with the dynamite was ending and the only thing I heard on that episode I forgot was insurance policy was 5000 that was taken out by guys who decided to do it. That was a LOT of money back then and I wonder if it would have been paid. From what I've read By 1800, the minimum lot was halved to 320 acres, and settlers were allowed to pay in 4 installments, but prices remained fixed at $1.25 an acre until 1854. That year, federal legislation was enacted establishing a graduated scale that adjusted land prices to reflect the desirability of the lot.Homes, food, land, etc was cheap compared to that amount of money.  Charles didn't have worth in dollars of course but that still is a lot of money and his family would not have gone hungry. That sounded like more than the Olesons could dream of and much more than you'd need for land etc.

I loved how Johnny Cash show was more realistic and I could see the con and the change happening since Caleb wasn't an evil man just an opportunist. I loved his scenes with Alicia and the pup and the woman who didn't want to get out of bed. "Well, I never put my stock in the pearly gates. It always sounded like a bunch of froo froo to me" 🙂 I liked how you heard June Carter singing at the end when Mrs Foster was in church.  Mary got on my nerves a little but overall everyone was nice and I think one of the better shows.

 

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alexa

alexa

9 hours ago, debraran said:

I watched the Johnny Cash episode in a carb daze but really like it. The one with the dynamite was ending and the only thing I heard on that episode I forgot was insurance policy was 5000 that was taken out by guys who decided to do it. That was a LOT of money back then and I wonder if it would have been paid. From what I've read By 1800, the minimum lot was halved to 320 acres, and settlers were allowed to pay in 4 installments, but prices remained fixed at $1.25 an acre until 1854. That year, federal legislation was enacted establishing a graduated scale that adjusted land prices to reflect the desirability of the lot.Homes, food, land, etc was cheap compared to that amount of money.  Charles didn't have worth in dollars of course but that still is a lot of money and his family would not have gone hungry. That sounded like more than the Olesons could dream of and much more than you'd need for land etc.

I loved how Johnny Cash show was more realistic and I could see the con and the change happening since Caleb wasn't an evil man just an opportunist. I loved his scenes with Alicia and the pup and the woman who didn't want to get out of bed. "Well, I never put my stock in the pearly gates. It always sounded like a bunch of froo froo to me" 🙂 I liked how you heard June Carter singing at the end when Mrs Foster was in church.  Mary got on my nerves a little but overall everyone was nice and I think one of the better shows.

 

I love that episode!

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ctlady

ctlady

On 11/13/2020 at 12:16 PM, jird said:

Today I am watching Back to School, and when Laura yells that she's a woman (a WOMAN!) and she hates all of them

I subjected Mr. Ctlady to watch the end with me so I could quote that dialogue when Laura said it - and he got a good laugh out of it!

Since there was a huge LHoP marathon over the weekend, I caught a couple of faves and ones that sounded interesting that I hadn't seen before.  But the one I had a difficult time viewing again was The Handyman.  It is all kinds of awkward and wrong on so many levels.  Between Christopher trying to infiltrate himself into the family (right down to playing Charles' fiddle after dinner and having the girls call him 'uncle' Chris), to Caroline's blushiness over his compliments to her obviously disappointed face when she realized Charles wasn't jealous of having a good looking carpenter hanging around in his absence.  The entire premise and context bothered me greatly.  The entire scene where they all go to church together, showing up like a family together in the wagon, then with Chris putting Carrie on his shoulders and taking Laura's hand - all in front of the entire town was either absolute naivete on Caroline's part or she knew what she was doing and wanted to generate gossip to get back to Charles.  I just don't know, but I will never ever watch that episode again

 

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debraran

debraran

(edited)
4 hours ago, ctlady said:

I subjected Mr. Ctlady to watch the end with me so I could quote that dialogue when Laura said it - and he got a good laugh out of it!

Since there was a huge LHoP marathon over the weekend, I caught a couple of faves and ones that sounded interesting that I hadn't seen before.  But the one I had a difficult time viewing again was The Handyman.  It is all kinds of awkward and wrong on so many levels.  Between Christopher trying to infiltrate himself into the family (right down to playing Charles' fiddle after dinner and having the girls call him 'uncle' Chris), to Caroline's blushiness over his compliments to her obviously disappointed face when she realized Charles wasn't jealous of having a good looking carpenter hanging around in his absence.  The entire premise and context bothered me greatly.  The entire scene where they all go to church together, showing up like a family together in the wagon, then with Chris putting Carrie on his shoulders and taking Laura's hand - all in front of the entire town was either absolute naivete on Caroline's part or she knew what she was doing and wanted to generate gossip to get back to Charles.  I just don't know, but I will never ever watch that episode again

 

I think it's just how you look at it and that's personal. Karen said she loved that episode because you saw Caroline as a woman and you can enjoy compliments and not be "bad" and having someone see you as a woman still and not just a "Ma" is nice sometimes. Caroline would never cheat or do something wrong. Going to church was a good thing to do I felt because he did it for them and she wasn't ashamed. If he had been old or overweight or whatever, no one would say anything. He happened to be cute and very handy and did things Charles didn't have time for. Maybe it inspired him to look for someone he could settle down with.

I noticed when Charles flirted with the lady with the horses, complimenting her hands and spending time with her and kids or even the widow withe the dishes, no one comments on it. Even when Mary didn't like the widow (and was wrong) she didn't tell her to leave town or her dad alone. I felt because Caroline was a woman she wasn't allowed to have a compliment or have someone think she was special. I liked how it showed you take each other for granted but like Charles, just laughed at the gossip. People talk, who cares. I had someone say that about someone and myself and it died and my husband knew and laughed too. If you let other busybodies like Harriet dictate how you act and you are honorable, you'll always be unhappy. Everyone knows a Harriet but no one else thought it was odd in town. Not my favorite show because of Mary and her attitude but I wish it ended with Charles meeting him or having him finish the job.

Edited by debraran
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debraran

debraran

(edited)
11 hours ago, Superclam said:

That episode isn't helped by the fact that Gil Gerard is a terrible actor. I can see his appeal, but he's wooden. 

I never saw him often elsewhere but I posted a pic on this site of Michael directing him. I think it wasn't helped that one "hunk" didn't want the other getting too much attention. ; )  "Play it down Gil, no nipple shots, that's my thing". lol He did seem stilted at times but also direction might have been that way.

I also liked how he made Carrie a toy, except for a rag doll, toys were not shown but I bet many made them. image.png.617295159a48713b8a57902de8fbdaa8.png

Edited by debraran
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Pirpana

Pirpana

Quote

 I posted a pic on this site of Michael directing him

^ Yeah, I remember that pic (on page 14). Although this episode was directed by William F. Claxton but maybe ML said it in the capasity of Executive Producer... 

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debraran

debraran

2 hours ago, Pirpana said:

^ Yeah, I remember that pic (on page 14). Although this episode was directed by William F. Claxton but maybe ML said it in the capasity of Executive Producer... 

And he did look like he was giving him guidance so “ directing without credit” type of thing .  Sure that happened more than once 

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jason88cubs

jason88cubs

The episode where Laura stays the night with Mary at the blind school, and those 3 guys, 1 injured, come to the blind school and hold them hostage. ALways amazes me that Mary didn't yell out "Pa?!" when Charles walked in announcing himself as Doc Baker. Like I felt it would have been a natural recation

 

ALSO, did they ever explain why Doc Baker had borrowed Nels buggy to get to dinner, wherever he was? Didn't Doc Baker have one?

ANyone have a map of Walnut grove? How far was the Ingalls from town? How far was the blind school from Olson's?

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Mr. Sparkle

Mr. Sparkle

(edited)

I always wondered when they left Winoka and went back to Walnut Grove. I had never seen the episode before. I think they didn't show it in syndication often because it's a full 60 minutes without commercials. 

Anyway, I watched it on Amazon this week and it's a pretty good episode, especially the second part when they get back to WG. By the next episode (Fagin) are all their financial problems temporarily solved? 

Also, how creepy is the scene with that "old" lady, when they pan in on her face and her husband goes "she's only 45 years old." 

Edited by Superclam
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alexa

alexa

10 hours ago, Superclam said:

I always wondered when they left Winoka and went back to Walnut Grove. I had never seen the episode before. I think they didn't show it in syndication often because it's a full 60 minutes without commercials. 

Anyway, I watched it on Amazon this week and it's a pretty good episode, especially the second part when they get back to WG. By the next episode (Fagin) are all their financial problems temporarily solved? 

Also, how creepy is the scene with that "old" lady, when they pan in on her face and her husband goes "she's only 45 years old." 

Yes, I had to go find the episode on Amazon as well during my current series rewatch.  It didn’t air on the channel that is saving to my dvr.  I liked the episode as well...

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alexa

alexa

I am on Season 9, A New Beginning, for my series rewatch.  It is better than I remember it--there are some heartwarming stories in there, and I like seeing more of Laura and Almanzo.  I like the Carter family okay as well, although the wife doesn't always make the best emotional decisions.  She had an episode with her dad where she let him walk all over her, and then on another episode she was all upset because of the time one of the kids was spending with a woman they worked for.  

Other than that most of the episodes have been okay--I even liked the Albert on drugs one okay this round, lol.

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debraran

debraran

11 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

On The VChristmas They Never Forgot episode.

 

uhhh why were they not worried about the animals with all that snow?!

I just kept thinking I hope everyone had good bladders!

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alexa

alexa

I finished the series, and then went and did a search for the Final Farewell on amazon.  I still really love the whole blowing up the buildings thing in that episode.  I was reading about it afterwards online, and though many say Landon did it because he was mad about the cancellation--the real reason (according to an interview that was done) was that he understood the cancellation due to lower ratings, but he had to return the acreage that he was using to what it was like before when they were done with it (something like that).  So he wasn't sure what to do with the buildings, and someone came up with the idea of the storyline to blow them up.  

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Snow Apple

Snow Apple

2 hours ago, alexa said:

I finished the series, and then went and did a search for the Final Farewell on amazon.  I still really love the whole blowing up the buildings thing in that episode.  I was reading about it afterwards online, and though many say Landon did it because he was mad about the cancellation--the real reason (according to an interview that was done) was that he understood the cancellation due to lower ratings, but he had to return the acreage that he was using to what it was like before when they were done with it (something like that).  So he wasn't sure what to do with the buildings, and someone came up with the idea of the storyline to blow them up.  

I thought I read somewhere that he didn’t want any other production to use “his” buildings but I don’t remember where. Maybe it was just a fan theory or something.

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alexa

alexa

(edited)
22 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I thought I read somewhere that he didn’t want any other production to use “his” buildings but I don’t remember where. Maybe it was just a fan theory or something.

That is what I thought too, but there was a source that had an interview with him or someone on the show that said, let's set the record straight...and they went on to say that about how they had to remove the buildings anyway as part of the original agreement of using the land, etc.

 

Found it:  https://www.cbr.com/tv-legends-revealed-why-did-michael-landon-blow-up-the-little-house-sets/

Also found this interesting in the above article:  Actor John Ivar, who played the head of the family that moved into the "Little House,” took home the actual set for that house, rescuing it from destruction. A replica was put up in its place, but it was destroyed in a fire in 2003.

 

Edited by alexa
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jason88cubs

jason88cubs

1 minute ago, Superclam said:

It's one of those things that varied from episode to episode. It took either 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on the plot. 

saw the tornado episode was curious how no one suffered any damage but the Ingalls

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BigBingerBro

BigBingerBro

13 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

saw the tornado episode was curious how no one suffered any damage but the Ingalls

Tornados can be hit or miss like that and considering it was a time before meteorology and breaking news, I thought it was legit

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Snow Apple

Snow Apple

9 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

Tornados can be hit or miss like that and considering it was a time before meteorology and breaking news, I thought it was legit

Tornados are crazy unpredictable things. I saw on the news once (in the 90's?) of a house totally destroyed but the houses next to them looked like nothing happened. It was a strange sight.

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CountryGirl

CountryGirl

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Tornados are crazy unpredictable things. I saw on the news once (in the 90's?) of a house totally destroyed but the houses next to them looked like nothing happened. It was a strange sight.

I grew up in NW Ohio and am no stranger to tornadoes and know exactly the randomness of them at times. One of my older sisters was in highschool at the time (out in the country, roughly 20 miles to the west of my school) and could see it coming from a distance. There was this jerk in her class who kept saying how all of their homes would be taken out. There was a row of houses across the street from the highschool. Most had a few shingles missing but nothing more. Only one was completely destroyed. It was his. 

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CountryGirl

CountryGirl

Speaking of tornadoes, IIRC, Laura's books never mentioned them, but we had at least two tornadoes on the show that I recall:

1- The tornado that takes out the fields (poor Pa was always losing the crops) and kills the calf. Charles almost sells the farm back to a couple who had lived there years before. The first appearance of the guy who would also play Zachariah (Gold Country crazy guy) and Uncle Jed Cooper.

2 - The tornado that took out Laura and Almanzo's first home not long after she gave birth to Rose. Pa and Ma lied to her about how bad the damage was (saying it was just a few broken windows) when the house was beyond repair. But then we wouldn't have had one of Laura's most infamous quotes: "I've got a baby, a cat, and a plate. And no home. No home!"

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jird

jird

31 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

2 - The tornado that took out Laura and Almanzo's first home not long after she gave birth to Rose. Pa and Ma lied to her about how bad the damage was (saying it was just a few broken windows) when the house was beyond repair. But then we wouldn't have had one of Laura's most infamous quotes: "I've got a baby, a cat, and a plate. And no home. No home!"

That was pretty crappy of them not to tell Laura about her house. I always hated any episode where anyone (usually Pa and Ma) lied to someone about something that they deserved to know. (the house, Mary going blind, etc.)It was just really unfair. Plus, Pa could have saved the town a whole lot of trouble if he'd said, "Hey Mary, the reason you can't work for those nice gentlemen anymore is because we suspect they're the James brothers."

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alexa

alexa

(edited)
4 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Speaking of tornadoes, IIRC, Laura's books never mentioned them, but we had at least two tornadoes on the show that I recall:

1- The tornado that takes out the fields (poor Pa was always losing the crops) and kills the calf. Charles almost sells the farm back to a couple who had lived there years before. The first appearance of the guy who would also play Zachariah (Gold Country crazy guy) and Uncle Jed Cooper.

2 - The tornado that took out Laura and Almanzo's first home not long after she gave birth to Rose. Pa and Ma lied to her about how bad the damage was (saying it was just a few broken windows) when the house was beyond repair. But then we wouldn't have had one of Laura's most infamous quotes: "I've got a baby, a cat, and a plate. And no home. No home!"

I know in her books when they were in South Dakota there were at least a couple mentions of tornado like storms.  I remember her detailing what Pa told her he found out about what happened to some other homesteads in the area--the strange happenings of a door coming flying back to a house that was completely gone and also some deaths.  

This is one I remember that Laura mentioned while being out with Almanzo

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1562&context=usdeptcommercepub

 

 

Edited by alexa
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alexa

alexa

4 hours ago, jird said:

That was pretty crappy of them not to tell Laura about her house. I always hated any episode where anyone (usually Pa and Ma) lied to someone about something that they deserved to know. (the house, Mary going blind, etc.)It was just really unfair. Plus, Pa could have saved the town a whole lot of trouble if he'd said, "Hey Mary, the reason you can't work for those nice gentlemen anymore is because we suspect they're the James brothers."

That was so strange Pa didn't say more about the James brothers!  lol

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CountryGirl

CountryGirl

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

and the Banker was a scrooge because he took his jobs eriously and wouldn't just give Charles a loan

I wouldn’t give this hobby farmer who couldn’t raise a crop to save his life a dang dime. 

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Snow Apple

Snow Apple

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

and the Banker was a scrooge because he took his jobs eriously and wouldn't just give Charles a loan

Charles always had the attitude of "I'm Charles Ingalls! How dare you!"

Remember when Mary needed an operation and he and Mr. Edwards went to look for a job? He almost beat up that foreman who had no more job openings. I know he was desperate, but he was just a jerk.

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