Quarantine

A Nightmare in Elmsville; or How Many Poison-Ivy Pandemics Can One Town Bear? (a recap by Will Kaiser) TITLE: Quarantine AIRDATE: January 17, 1977 Written by John Hawkins Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Southwest Minnesota reels from a twin outbreak of mountain fever and poison ivy. RECAP: We watched this episode outContinue reading “Quarantine”

The Hunters

Dead Horses are the Dead Horse of This Show; or Who Ordered a Michael Landon on the Rocks? (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Hunters Airdate: December 20, 1976 Written by Harold Swanton Directed by Michael Landon EDITOR’S NOTE: Our family watched this episode before our interview with Melissa Gilbert, so if you haven’tContinue reading “The Hunters”

Journey in the Spring, Part Two

“The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen”: The Life, Times and Appalling Death of Bunny the Horse (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Journey in the Spring, Part Two Airdate: November 22, 1976 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: In what one of our reviewers described as “the worst thing I’ve everContinue reading “Journey in the Spring, Part Two”

At the End of the Rainbow

The Problem is, Laura Isn’t Really This Stupid; or Nels Doesn’t Deserve To Be in This Dream Sequence (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: At the End of the Rainbow Airdate: December 10, 1975 Written by Arthur Heinemann Directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Laura strikes gold (she thinks) and hallucinates hillbillies. RECAP:Continue reading “At the End of the Rainbow”

Haunted House

Everybody Likes a Sad Story (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Haunted House Airdate: October 8, 1975 Written by Ray Goldrup, John Hawkins and B.W. Sandefur Story by Ray Goldrup Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Having already befriended the second-scariest guy in town, Laura now targets the first. She’s extra that way.Continue reading “Haunted House”

Ebenezer Sprague

Blah Humbug (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Ebenezer Sprague Airdate: September 24, 1975 Written by Hindi Brooks Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: It’s yet another old-man best friend for Laura when she teaches an asshole to love. RECAP: We open on Mr. Nelson the Gray-Haired Dude driving down the thoroughfare, accompanied byContinue reading “Ebenezer Sprague”

Circus Man

Full O’Shit (a recap by Will Kaiser) NOTE: I want to dedicate this one to my late friend Billy, a Little House fan who loved Red Buttons. I miss you, buddy. – WK Title: Circus Man Airdate: February 5, 1975 Written by Ward Hawkins Story by Preston Wood and Ward Hawkins Directed by Victor FrenchContinue reading “Circus Man”

The Lord is My Shepherd: Part Two

(Mean) Thoughts and Prayers; or The Parable of the Little Girl, The Mountain, and The A-Borgnine-able Snowman (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Lord is My Shepherd [Part 2] Airdate: December 18, 1974 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Feeling guilty about murdering her baby brother, Laura runs away toContinue reading “The Lord is My Shepherd: Part Two”

The Voice of Tinker Jones

Reverend Alden: Prince of Liars (a recap by Will Kaiser) TITLE: The Voice of Tinker Jones AIRDATE: December 4, 1974 Written by Tony Kayden and Michael Russnow Directed by Leo Penn SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: The Walnut Grovesters go to war with each other over whether to put up a church bell. A local hearing-impairedContinue reading “The Voice of Tinker Jones”

Ma’s Holiday

Caroline, That’s Enough (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Ma’s Holiday Airdate: November 6, 1974 Written by Dale Eunson Directed by Leo Penn SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Charles takes Caroline on a vacation to Mankato, but she ruins it by worrying about the kids. Mr. Edwards babysits, feeds everybody a rattlesnake, and shoots a holeContinue reading “Ma’s Holiday”