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”

The Race

Half This Episode is Fat-Shaming Twelve-Year-Olds (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Race Airdate: October 11, 1976 Written by John V. Hanrahan Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Nellie and Laura are the only two contestants in an annual Hero Township-wide horse race, if you can believe that. RECAP: Bummer ofContinue reading “The Race”

Going Home

The High-Waisted Horny Hustle; or You’re the Main Character of the Show, You’re Not Going Anywhere (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Going Home Airdate: March 31, 1976 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Charles freaks when a tornado destroys his crops, but yet another Magical Old Man materializes to showContinue reading “Going Home”

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”