“Laura Ingalls Wilder” (Part One)

A Haaaarrrrrvest of Friends; or Harvey Equipment (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: “Laura Ingalls Wilder” [sic] Airdate: September 22, 1980 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Zaldummo learns a lesson about cash on the barrel when he gets cheated on a land deal. But who cares about that, this one’s reallyContinue reading ““Laura Ingalls Wilder” (Part One)”

EXTRA: The 1980 Walnut Groovy Awards

Readers may remember I possess an archive of flotsam from the Walnut Groovy Awards, the annual Little House celebration held every summer during the show’s original run. (If you’re thinking of looking the Groovies up, don’t even bother. Because in this age of AI-distorted, -supplanted, -suppressed and -forgotten knowledge, who knows what to trust anymore?)Continue reading “EXTRA: The 1980 Walnut Groovy Awards”

“He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” (Part One)

New York CITY?!; or It Took a Gay Guy To Teach Nels To Be a Man (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” [sic] Airdate: May 5, 1980 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL:  Almanzo shows his true colors when Pa insists Laura can’t marryContinue reading ““He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” (Part One)”

Second Spring

Crazy Wife, Crazy Life; or Why Don’t You Just Move to Fucking Chicago, Nels (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Second Spring Airdate: February 18, 1980 Written by John T. Dugan Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Nels has an honest-to-God affair with the fake-Irish lass to end all fake-Irish lasses. (HeContinue reading “Second Spring”

Wilder and Wilder

It’s a Beef Butt Roast; or Almanzo Furioso (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Wilder and Wilder Airdate: February 11, 1980 Written by John T. Dugan Directed by Maury Dexter SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Half the town goes sex-crazy when Almanzo’s puke of a little brother comes to visit and a new student matriculates. (ZeroContinue reading “Wilder and Wilder”

“Whatever Happened to the Class of ’56”

The Big Chill, Walnut Grove-Style; or The Name’s Charles Ingalls, Motherfucker (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: “Whatever Happened to the Class of ’56” [sic] Airdate: January 14, 1980 Written by John T. Dugan Directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Where do I begin? The Midwest regional Grange meeting in Milwaukee has overlapped withContinue reading ““Whatever Happened to the Class of ’56””

The Werewolf of Walnut Grove

Eliza Jane Triumphant; or What Can You Write About the Sky? (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Werewolf of Walnut Grove Airdate: January 7, 1980 Written by John T. Dugan Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: In this very odd mélange of previous story elements, Laura and Albert pull a supernaturalContinue reading “The Werewolf of Walnut Grove”

The Faith Healer

The Banality of Evil; or Total Eclipse of the Appendix (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Faith Healer Airdate: November 19, 1979 Written by Don Balluck Directed by Maury Dexter SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Another Reverend Alden one. This time, Dabbs gets to flex his acting muscles when Aldi is challenged by a rivalContinue reading “The Faith Healer”

“Back to School,” Part One

Love is a Manly Splendored Thing; or Flippin’ Awesome (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: “Back to School” [sic], Part One Airdate: September 17, 1979 Written and directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Walnut Grove experiences an outbreak of immortal TV moments when a grown man named Almanzo Wilder comes to town. RECAP:Continue reading ““Back to School,” Part One”

Barn Burner

Look How Mad His Butt Is; or Hit Him With the Moose Head! (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Barn Burner Airdate: February 19, 1979 Written by Don Balluck Directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: After the Barn of Garve burns down (again), the rule of law finally comes to Walnut Grove.  DarkContinue reading “Barn Burner”