THE RICHEST MAN IN WALNUT GROVE" RECAP!

Dean and Alison catch us up on their recent adventures at the Cherry Blossom Festival (spoiler: it was charming, floral, and probably involved a President's grandchild). We dip a toe into Waltons territory—just don’t say the “W” word around Pamela! And we’ve got an update on Baby Carrie, courtesy of the Greenbush twins themselves.

Then it’s back to basics with the Season 2 premiere of Little House on the Prairie, “The Richest Man in Walnut Grove.” This episode is a beautiful reminder of the show’s core values—delivered with simplicity, warmth, and just enough hardship to cue the waterworks before the opening credits are done rolling. (Yes, it starts with cow-milking. Yes, we’re already crying.)

The economic woes of the 1870s hit uncomfortably close to home for 1970s viewers—and, honestly, still hit today. Charles is broke (again), Mrs. Oleson is insufferable (as usual), Nellie and Willie are on their villain era tour (standard), and Ma and the girls show up as the resilient queens they are (per tradition). And Miss Whipple? She’s quietly running the town with a thimble in one hand and perhaps an illegal mani-pedi operation in her basement. Or is that just Pamela's theory? Regardless... she's a total Boss B.

Of course, in true Little House fashion, there’s a moral twist: it’s not about money, it’s about love, community, and the kind of hard-earned respect you can’t buy at Olsen’s Mercantile. After all, Pa may be broke, but he's rich in love, sweat, and suspenders.

Then, join us on Patreon! We answer a Patron’s question about Katherine MacGregor that was not addressed on our recent q&a live — and it’s a good one!


Links and Resources:Haven’t signed up for Patreon yet? Link is below!PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LittleHousePodcast

www.LittleHouse50Podcast.com to connect with our hosts and link to their websites.


www.LivinOnaPrairieTV.com  Check out the award-winning series created by Pamela Bob, with special guest stars Alison Arngrim and Charlotte Stewart.


Prairie Legacy Productions - the place to go for info about all new Little House events!


LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE CAST REUNION Columbia State Historic Park in California’s Gold Country!June 6–8, 2025Secure your tickets now through TIXR athttps://plp.tixr.com/little-house-gold-country

To learn more about Little House on the Prairie, Visit www.littlehouseontheprairie.com

Little House 50th Anniversary Bus Tours - www.SimiValleyChamber.org  select Little House 50th Anniversary and then Bus Tickets

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Pamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietv


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https://www.paclanticcreative.com/



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/little-house-fifty-for-50-podcast--6055242/support.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(01:31):
City of Semi Valley's belief in Little House on the
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Speaker 5 (01:39):
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(02:03):
a weekend get away or a family vacation, seem Valley
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for more details. Your adventurer waits in Semi Valley.

Speaker 4 (02:31):
Well, well, well you're back, bonnet heads. Thank you so
much for being here. How are you? I am Pamela
Bob your host, creator of em Star I suppose, yes,
creator and star I've living on the prairie. Yes, I
am both of those things. I'm having a little laugh
because our producer Tony is in his car while we're
recording this, so we were just having a little giggle. Sorry,

(02:53):
I gave that away. Tony, He's utmost professional, don't get
it twisted. And I am here as Allays with our
beloved very bitch. That's right, Allison Aringram and our hashtag
imaginary boyfriend Dean Butler. Hello you guys, how are you hey?

(03:14):
I want to hear it's been by the time this
episode airs is going to be after but I want
to hear this will be a few weeks past. But
I want to hear all about the Cherry Blossom Festival
that you know.

Speaker 6 (03:28):
It looks good. I mean, it's this cultural thing.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
It's just talk about it so much. I'm intrigued by it.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Terry Blossom. Like I got it was that Walton's girl
was Mary McDonough, was Aaron on the Waltons. Talked me
into it years ago and I've been going ever since
and I'm hooked. And she said it's really surreal. It's
a very strange event. I was like what what And
the next thing I know, I'm auctioning off pies with
Grover Cven's friends. So random residential relatives they got Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln,

(04:01):
and they got historical panels. When year they had a
panel about the Titanic and about Pearl Harbord, historical events,
presidential relatives, and then celebrities we had oh you know,
this year we just lost Lulu Roman of he Haw.
She was a regular there. She would get your Walton's
type folk and your prairie type folk and you know,
could leave it to Beaver and whoever. But then also
like yeah, he Haw, and then it just you just

(04:23):
kind of got wait, what the And then people.

Speaker 6 (04:26):
Pat Patrick Duffy from Dallas was the was the big
guest this year. And then he was very he was delightful.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
He was brilliant in the White House.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
You know, it's just like what so it's not necessarily
just like American like little house in the prairie and
the Waltons and presidential relatives, and then but then there's Dallas.

Speaker 6 (04:45):
So but Dallas has become Dallas has become Americana and Jr.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
The American Dream Strike Oil.

Speaker 4 (04:54):
True right right?

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Right?

Speaker 4 (04:56):
That is that is true? Yeah.

Speaker 6 (04:57):
No, what you get from Patrick he is someone who
is very who is grateful and thoughtful. I mean you
get the sense that there's a very cerebral person there
and he's uh. I asked him to do a social
media hit with me, and he just really wasn't sure
he wanted to do that. But look, Richard Thomas didn't

(05:18):
want to do one either, and we did what which
you accused me of being a trader on.

Speaker 4 (05:22):
And then oh yes, oh no, we're going to talk
smack about that huge butler.

Speaker 6 (05:27):
But it had it had it had half a million
views of twenty four hours. Yeah, it did. So that's
why you.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Are How did you talk him into it? Did you
say you were gonna Actually.

Speaker 6 (05:38):
It was his handler that talked him into it, someone
who had worked for Earl Hamner for years, and I
think he said to Richard, you know you really because
Richard's just he was very clear, I don't do that,
I don't like it, I'm not interested in it. But
he also said during the weekend that he was getting
ready to take out the Hall hullbrook Mark Twain Tonight

(06:00):
Show in August.

Speaker 4 (06:01):
Amazing. I think I know he did that.

Speaker 6 (06:05):
I don't think he's never done it before.

Speaker 4 (06:07):
This is like and he'll be the yeah, and he'll
be probably be the person.

Speaker 6 (06:11):
He is being sanctioned by the Wholebrook Estate to do so. Yeah.
So it's a big deal. It's a big deal, and
I think he's got all the right credentials for it.
I'll be interested to see how he approaches you know,
I don't I don't you know. Holbrook had such a
bite on his take on Mark Twain. I don't see

(06:32):
Richard Thomas that way. But then I wasn't expecting what
he did in Ozark either. Mean, he sort of surprised
me in that so, I mean he's such a talented guy.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
I had a couple of friends on tour with him doing.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
Oh the.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yes, I was like, not Blackbird, not Blackbird.

Speaker 6 (06:51):
Yeah, I bet he was terrific.

Speaker 4 (06:53):
In I'm sure he was. I'm sure he was.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Patrick. The whole speech at the dinner was about gratitude,
was about grat to the humility and appreciating the important
things in your life and your family and your life. Yes, No,
he's he's totally Prairie way. He's totally live in the
Prairie way, he's one of us.

Speaker 6 (07:11):
Well, we could keep talking about other things, but I
think that's a great jumping off point. Uh, to get
into the episode, I'll.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Just say that the Walton's the Walton's Little House thing.
You know, that's my trigger word. The W word is
the trigger word. And you know I always compared to
like the Jets versus the Sharks. Baby, you know, although
you know we love everybody, it's just a fun thing
to imagine, you know that there's an actual street war
against the Little House on the Prairie.

Speaker 6 (07:37):
And Cammy cottoner and reminded her that we thrash them
in a trivia contest.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
I watched that starts in the house.

Speaker 6 (07:49):
She really has sort of put me in my place
for that. Well, something like you well, if that's what
you need to feel good, then you know, something like
something like that, something like that. It was funny, you know,
she was. She's terrific, she really is. That's good.

Speaker 4 (08:06):
That's a good comeback. That makes me respect them more.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
Terry. It's a big truce and Urry fans all come
together in Dallas. It's a thing. It's a thing.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
Well, it looked like you guys had a great time.
I was keeping up with all your posts and everything.
So yay, okay, good Terry Blossom random randomly crazy and
weird and one.

Speaker 6 (08:25):
A right just before you throw to the to our title,
I just have to remind everybody there are that's coming
up on June sixth, seventh, and eighth, the Little House
in the Parade cast reunion in Gold Country coming up. Now. Sadly,
we just got the news today that Sidney Robin green Bush,
who was one half of the Baby Carry twins, is
not going to be able to make it, but she

(08:46):
was big. She is come unavailable for that weekend, but
we understand that her her sister Rachel will be there,
and I think it's you know, we don't see care
often enough at these events, and I think it's very
important that they get to feel the love, and so

(09:09):
I hope that Rachel does in fact get there.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
Because especially if you know how much they put into
the Semi Valley Festival last year, huge just they were
such a huge part of it. And I have to say,
meeting them in person, they are just the coolest, loveliest, intelligent, personable,
fun I just like the one of my takeaways from

(09:36):
that weekend was like, Baby Carrie, I love Baby Carrie.
I'm so sorry all these years. They're so wonderful. They
really are.

Speaker 6 (09:47):
Ye, yes, they're very I think they're very real.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
Very're great.

Speaker 6 (09:53):
And I think they The thing that I always get
from them when I'm with them is they genuinely love
the program and that they were involved in it. And
you know, I think they have I think overall, I
think they have nothing but good vibes on it. Yeah,
you know, I don't pick up on any negative on
it at all. It's just which is really which is

(10:15):
really nice because everyone's got disappointments, but they don't lead
with disappointment ever.

Speaker 1 (10:21):
So, and they're smart. I mean, we make fun of
baby care, but Rachel has a degree in accounting. She
she's smarter than all of us.

Speaker 6 (10:33):
Yeah, that's that's what we need.

Speaker 4 (10:35):
Oh my god, imagine if baby carry was your tax accountant.

Speaker 6 (10:38):
I wait to die.

Speaker 4 (10:39):
And she'd also be the first person i'd call. Okay,
that would be amazing. All right, shall we get to it?

Speaker 6 (10:46):
I think we should.

Speaker 4 (10:47):
All right, we should, Dean, would you like to tell well? No, first,
my goodness, again, I'm excited. Here we go starting again.
I'm exciting. I'm very tired, y'all. I'm in just finished
tech rehearsals for my show. We're starting previews tomorrow, and
I'm tired. Here we go, Yes, from the studios of

(11:07):
ubn GO in Burbank, California. I'm in New York. However,
this is The Little House on the Prairie. Fiftieth Anniversary Podcast,
Season two recap. All right, we're here, Dean, take it away.

Speaker 6 (11:38):
Okay, So today's episode, Season two, episode one, So a
very important season premiere, The Richest Man in Walnut Grove,
I think, really a quintessential little house episode. Absolutely. The
Richest Man in Walnut Grove premiered on September tenth, nineteen
seventy five, Written and directed by Michael Landon. He genuinely

(12:02):
did all the premieres and the finales, and at least
one sweep and maybe more. He rewrote everything, but this
always was.

Speaker 4 (12:11):
His screens and the finalities.

Speaker 6 (12:18):
Yeah, and I think, you know, I think when you
look at this one, I think he was I think,
launching into season two, he was there reminding people what
the show is all about.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
You know. That's what I was going to say, is
that this it's surprising that this was not surprising, but
like season two, we've we already learned this about the
Ingles that you know in season one, and it's interesting
that he reminds us again in the top of season two.
And this episode is so quite simple, but it's right

(12:51):
back of what this show is all about.

Speaker 6 (12:54):
Right for those who haven't seen it, Alison, why tell
us give us the synopsis of the episode?

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Not even a subplot, it's just this is what happens
when the mill closes due to bankruptcy because well, the
company that was supposed to pay the mail for the
giant order went bankrupt and chain reaction, chain reaction, so
the mill has to shut down through the bankruptcy and
Charles loses out on wages and this, mister Hanson says,
saved no money either that was going to clear his
account at the mercantile. And with the bonus income loss, no,

(13:21):
the family has to think about how they're going to
pay the debts and ang fact survive, so they work
together to survive. So Charles is working for twenty five
cents a day, which sounds really bad but it wasn't
as bad then, but still not great.

Speaker 4 (13:34):
Grooming and caring for of course, so we know what
that equivalent is today.

Speaker 1 (13:38):
Look that one up. It's not great even then. I
mean he's making more than that at the dress shop.
Grooming and carry is a job that makes him odoriferous. Yes,
this is Debelican dudy horse. And he takes a second
job building an irrigation drain ditch on Baker McCay's from
fixing fixing his pug mill, which involves more mud and filth.

Speaker 6 (13:58):
When Paul is a pug mill, it is used.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
How do you know this in graining up powder and
making like clay for bricks.

Speaker 6 (14:07):
It would be okay, got it?

Speaker 4 (14:09):
Brickmaker probably yes, And we've been to his we've been
to this man's farm before. What episode did we recap
where we went to his macaish? Yeah, and he was
a brickmaker?

Speaker 6 (14:22):
Boom?

Speaker 4 (14:23):
What episode we covered this episode?

Speaker 1 (14:26):
Us?

Speaker 6 (14:26):
I know we've seen that. I know we've seen the
house before. The how these houses have been They get
repurposed many many times. This was the house that was
used on the what the hundred mile do we do
one hundred mile walk or no? It was the episode
where Charles had to go away and they become they're
working in a mine and and they're.

Speaker 4 (14:48):
I mean, this might have been the person in the house, but.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
It wasn't the same actor in the house. It was
a different character in the house.

Speaker 4 (14:56):
Anyway, I'm sure one of our listeners want to.

Speaker 6 (15:00):
Why don't you know what these different episodes are usually making?
Its great anyway, Sorry.

Speaker 1 (15:08):
Like cement mixer, it's like for brick banking for making
so why would be in the water And it all
makes total sense. So he's more in twenty five then
he's doing that, which is also messy. So Paul stretched
the limit. Caroline and Laura plant a double crop of
vegetables for the winter and sell eggs to the mercantile
offset the Field're like, we can sell vegetables. Mary leaves school.

(15:28):
Mary Mary getting out of school bad news. Mary leaves
school to work for Missus Whipple, the seamstress, sowing a
sort of clothing items for the community. Laura continues in school,
bringing home lessons to Mary so she doesn't get behind
on her school works. When Laura gets behind, which of
course happens, she tells this beetle that she ran at
a tablet paper and doesn't want to ask her father
to buy it, which is sort of true, and the

(15:48):
beetle offers solution to the problem and all as much better.
She says, I'm going to buy school supplies. Why poor children?

Speaker 6 (15:54):
Actually it made it work. It actually was they had
to carry the.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
Store and was there and then everything like that.

Speaker 6 (16:04):
Did.

Speaker 1 (16:05):
I didn't know why she ran away because I was there. Yep, people,
struggles are made more dire, but the insults of Harriet,
Nelly and Willy also, Yes, they are working together. Can
Ingles family sustain themselves and get out of debt well
in the end with love and support the family, the
bill is paid and Charles Ingles is the richest man.

Speaker 4 (16:21):
In Can we just take it to the very opening
shots of the milking of the Cow when that title
card comes up and it's him little baby carry in
a very sweet baby carry moment, holding that bucket of
milk and him just walking behind her, and then that

(16:44):
title card comes up saying the richest man in Walet Grove,
And right off the bat I started tearing up and
I was like, he really is the richest man in
Walnut Crown.

Speaker 1 (16:58):
Literally, just a cow cow appears and you are sobbing.

Speaker 6 (17:03):
It's it's a very sweet moment. It really is like.

Speaker 4 (17:07):
How that title card comes up and it's like, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
And it's so simple on the farm, you would learn
even the tiniest shouldern to milk the cow because it's
relatively worse parents that you could get the little ones
to milk the cow and baby care or as as
she she said, I milk the cow.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
Is that what she said? I literally wrote down in my.

Speaker 6 (17:30):
I literally you do understand that the cow you heard of?
Hear the cow, you know.

Speaker 4 (17:35):
But there's a scene later inside the house she says
something and I still do not know what she said,
and in my notes I just have an all bold
letter letters. What the hell did carry say sugar?

Speaker 6 (17:50):
At the end, she says she wants white sugar, right, Yeah,
I don't know sugar. Yeah, no, she does say, yeah,
she does say sugar.

Speaker 1 (17:58):
She has several choice baby carried moments, very heavy baby
carry up set. It's a very baby carry up.

Speaker 6 (18:04):
But she could almost talk.

Speaker 1 (18:06):
She puts up the cattle line. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
it's all about the table. I love this episode because
again it's nineteen seventy five and the recession is in
massive full swing in America. Like the books, came out
with the dipression, and I gotta tell you, I mean, okay, yeah,
I got on a TV series right when it hit

(18:27):
my family. No, we weren't starving. We had a place
to live, we had a car, but my mom was
working an extra job because my dad had just started
his business right after leaving. He just started his own company.
Then they weren't making any money to speak of, and
so my mother was working. So when I got the
series and said yeah, I could like chip in for

(18:47):
food or like la la la la la la la
la la, it was like everybody go to work like
you can eat. So we were Stephen like kind of
going like, oh yeah, I mean I would not have
been able to afford the orthodonics. That wouldn't have happened. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
So we were like we roared. I my father laughed
at ass off when they started going on about we
can't afford the tablets dependsil depends and this. My father

(19:09):
started cracking up.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
But yep, that's that.

Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yes, school supplies. This is what everyone is doing right now,
right now, people.

Speaker 6 (19:17):
Yeah, in front of the show. Yeah. The show premiered
on September tenth. I mean it was it's back to
school time. Everybody's in that mode. I think Michael was
just the simplicity of this is it's so clear what
he's doing, and the story tracks so nicely. There's so
much love and support in this disappointment that he's experienced.

(19:43):
Michael's storytelling just sets everything in motion right off the bath.
You don't have to wait for he knows, we know
what the problem is about paying off the bill at
the Olsen's at the end of the week. Well, you know,
something's going to happen.

Speaker 4 (19:56):
Yeah, doomed, don't even say it.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Thing that's going to happen, and we're going to do this.
We're going to do that.

Speaker 6 (20:02):
I'm like, your screw, it's gonna be death.

Speaker 4 (20:08):
But there's gonna be a plague tomorrow. Something happened, that's
gonna happen.

Speaker 7 (20:15):
Okay, so then we're we I want I want to
say another thing there.

Speaker 4 (20:19):
The first scene in the Mercantile with ma and and
Missus Olsen is sort of very passively aggressively talking about
not getting paid, you know, because yes massively and Nells
has the funny which it turns into a recurring theme.

Speaker 6 (20:44):
Yes, this was the first was the first.

Speaker 4 (20:47):
First, because looking for it all and one in it.
This might be the first mutter aside, muttering that. He
then nails a rhyme mutterings, Yeah, so she said her
back is hurting. What did she say her back is
hurting again? No, he said, in her.

Speaker 6 (21:06):
Back again and again turns.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
The shoes a ten and a ten and a ten.
And that might have been the first one, which turns
into just his reoccurring theme the rest of the show,
which is brilliant. The nails asides are brilliant, and.

Speaker 6 (21:27):
He did them so well.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
He's so dead Hurriot, like he's trying to fight back.
He tries to fight her several times. He's like, Harriet, no, no,
but she keeps like just steamrollering the whole thing. And
and when she has the audacity just about Caroline about friendships, like,
what's like so freaking horrible.

Speaker 4 (21:49):
She's so horrible.

Speaker 6 (21:51):
I mean, I see, and I gotta believe that it's
in an episode like this where Catherine had to really
seriously take a look at how she was the direction
the character was going in. Because as much as look
as much as yeah, as much as Catherine had her

(22:15):
I mean, she had litanies of complaints about things. I mean,
you know, there was a lot of complaint that went on,
but she was very astute about what she was doing
and how she did it. And I think this may
have been one of those moments as important as this
episode was, where she started looking at how am I

(22:37):
going to make this character palatable? I mean, you know,
she's sort of leaning into that Leam O'Neill ground, and
you know in the first episode of season one where
he's so horrible you could never have him back again.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
But she was also going to foolish. This was around
the time.

Speaker 6 (22:53):
Oh, that's where she was.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
So the perfect words, being so grand and her husband's
stop it. And then of course when they have the
money and she winds up looking like an idiot. She
looks like an idiot at every turn. She's being full
of recbl and and and yes, well we said pride,
pride come up before or fall, and he's like, it's going,
it's going.

Speaker 6 (23:13):
Yes before just before destruction or something? Was what the
what way she said? The way they said it?

Speaker 4 (23:21):
She was very horrible once again, once again, very horrible, Nils,
how are you married to her?

Speaker 6 (23:27):
You know? But then you look at that, you say,
but this that quality that both Catherine and you, Allison
brought was so essential to making the drama work. Oh
of course you're one. You can never underestimate the value
of an absolutely repugnant villain. But what's miraculous is that

(23:51):
they did make themselves somehow redeemable.

Speaker 4 (23:55):
You wanted again, you wanted to well, well, also you
got to punch in the face, so at least well
that was like the audience had some sort of relief.
I mean, the audience just needs relief from the whole
We all.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
Know these people. Now. Michael directing and okay, we've talked
about him doing this before, like, okay, what do you
do with the scene? Do you do it this setup?
Do you do the eight million close ups? Or did
you do a long shot and not say anything? And
that's the whole thing. When Paul has to tell Maw
that the mill has shut down and he.

Speaker 6 (24:23):
Has no job, and you and you see that you
hear nothing, It's great.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
Any other TV show, this would have been a whole
huge scene crying and yelling and screaming. He he just
doesn't come to the house. He stands or it goes
over by the cows and the chickens and she knows
something's wrong and she walks to me. You just from
eighty feet away, you see the two of them talk
and you hear nothing, and then they're at dinner. That's it.
That's when he tells me.

Speaker 6 (24:45):
And then yeah, you go from that to the fiddle
in the dark, in the dark dark.

Speaker 4 (24:50):
Would you even forgive his bad fiddle mimic because it
was darks He feels so bad for him.

Speaker 6 (24:56):
Well, now, the thing that always cracks me up about
the fiddle play or he we call it the fiddle,
but Charles doesn't generally does not play fiddle style. He's
not doing the double string.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
He's not.

Speaker 6 (25:14):
Well, no, I get that, but but he says he's
not playing anything. That would have been up to David
to score it with the fiddler, right, and he didn't
do that. He treated the violin as a violin, and
which was which always struck me as interesting because we
know from the music that we've the music that Paul

(25:34):
loved to play, the historical music. This was very much
fiddle music with a double and I don't know, you
may know more about the term of how that's but
it's two strings at a time.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
Always, Yeah, and the position on the body is different.

Speaker 6 (25:51):
It is different, Yes, it is set up slightly.

Speaker 4 (25:54):
Differently, right, but you know, well right, but the fire.

Speaker 6 (26:03):
But anyway, so then you end up then you end
up in the in the bedroom, and you know it's paused.
So I love this. The scene opens and Laura's chewing
a hangnail off. I mean ability, I've never I never
thought i'd see anything like that.

Speaker 4 (26:20):
I think I used to do that when I was
a little girl.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
Mouse And I want you to know. I texted her
this afternoon. I need to know this, said, just saying,
I'm watching this episode and you're chewing your toenails, you're biting,
not you're figuring your toenails in this thing? One did
you ever do anything like that? And for the love
of God, how how did you even get her? Answers

(26:44):
are no, she has never actually in real life to
your toenails. This is good to know. And as to
how very flexible.

Speaker 6 (26:52):
Yeah right at nine years.

Speaker 4 (26:54):
Turnout, answer, turnout, and she wound up dancing.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
She's a very flexible adjug and she could just like
sure they said, can you choo your toenails?

Speaker 4 (27:03):
But of course, but also what an odd thing to
show like, wh whose choice was that?

Speaker 6 (27:09):
I just thought that was interesting.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
I suspect Michael. I suspect maybe she's supposed to be
biting her nails. And Michael said.

Speaker 6 (27:16):
He would one do that.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
I can see him going, you can't choose your toail,
can you? I heard going, sure, watch him going, yes, done,
my work is done.

Speaker 4 (27:25):
Now that is That is a moment where I was like, oh,
poor Mary has to share this bed, like that's when
the older sister energy. It's completely and totally valid. And
she was actually quite nice to her. She didn't give
her an attitude about that at all.

Speaker 6 (27:39):
Obviously this was not an uncommon thing for her to do.

Speaker 4 (27:42):
Apparently, But the foot in the mouth, the turnout, the
hip flexibility, I'm down for it. What a choice to make.

Speaker 6 (27:53):
So I love that. I'm sorry, I love none. Towards
the end of the scene, where you know, if you think,
if something wake me up, I can't do it because
I'll be asleep right Oh yeah, And they turn over
and go to sleep. It's a very.

Speaker 1 (28:06):
Sweet, lovely scene. Now I have questions. I have questions
because we get to mom Pa and he can't sleep,
and it's and she goes and she says, how about
some warm milk? Okay, a normal thing to say, but
she's really excited about it, and he's like, oh wow,
warm milk. And then they have the whole terrible conversation
about God and then she's like, let's get that warm out.

(28:29):
Was this mood for something because he'm too excited about
a couple of wore milk, like it had way too
much significance? Was this code for some other thing that
we don't know about with Charles and Caroline?

Speaker 6 (28:42):
Warm milk?

Speaker 8 (28:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (28:47):
Does it pair with does it pair well with popcorn?
Or is it? He was more like, is it more like,
let's spike the more milk with some morphine I've got
handy and that little booze in the back.

Speaker 6 (28:59):
Maybe warm.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
I'm thinking war milk was way better than more milk
because I never talked to people get so excited in
my life. Oh and then blasphemy, blasphemy. I'm sorry. Pau
who occasionally missquotes the Bible, I'm always correct him. It's
everysi mysy correctedness is also in the Bible. He was right,
But at one point, I mean, okay, he's devastated. They
got no money, he's got kids, and he says, you know,

(29:24):
am I is? She's like, well, God could be testing
am I worthy of God's love? Scree Okay, Yeah, there's
a lot of different you know, Okay, all the different
churches have things about a salvation through deed, salvation through
automatic subfacement. But wow, pretty much everyone has that. There's
an unconditional. Yeah, old testament, you can get tested a lot,

(29:45):
but the God's love pretty much conditional. The worthy of
thoughts love thing, that's pretty much a straight across pass.
So that's trying to get a little touchy that he's
actually going, am I worthy of God's love? Right there?
And I'm surprised that Caroline didn't go, whoa, what what
would start? Like? Yeah, versus right there? Whipping of the book?

Speaker 6 (30:04):
Interesting?

Speaker 4 (30:04):
Yeah, but there's so much so there's so many sects
of Christianity that it is you have to do this
in order to have God's love. So maybe that's what
which you know is not what it's supposed to be,
but that is very often.

Speaker 1 (30:21):
For justification works which particular group or might you be.
But usually even if there's a justification or God is
testing you to show that you're worthy of this, the
worthy of God's loved one will usually shut off fireworks.
Any chapters read to you if you start pulling that one.
Wasn't it?

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Wasn't it? Georgia Carlin, he had a whole bit where
he's like where he was like, you know, I'm totally paraphrasing,
and please forgive me, but you know he talked about
how you know, God will kill you, and there are
wars and they'll kill your first board and they'll through plagues.
Buddy loves you.

Speaker 6 (30:54):
He loves that.

Speaker 4 (30:54):
Buddy loves you.

Speaker 9 (31:00):
And now there's so much smiting. There's a lot of
smiting in the fighting. Not too much smiting in the
second book. And but yeah, but Buddy loves you. Carolyn
does reassuring, she does reassure.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
But he's got He gets missus Olsen dead to rights
right down to the chapter notes about like nos proverbs
and it's going, it's going so you know, generally on it.

Speaker 4 (31:23):
So here's my next beef. Here's my next beef. Next scene,
we're it back or after this, Caroline is back in
the mercantile and and with and Pa is there too,
and missus Olsen says she demands an apology. She won't

(31:44):
do anything unless she gets an apology from Ma, and
they refuse to do the apology. Right, here's my beef,
here's my beef. They make Laura do that all the time.
They make her apologize all the time to Nelly and
to terrible people who've done terrible things, but when the

(32:07):
shoe is on, when there was on the other foot,
they don't do it. And I had an.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
Issue with that because even when they've told her like, well, yes,
you're right and they were horrible, but we have to
take the high road and you have to's was like
hell to the no, no, no.

Speaker 4 (32:25):
I was like, wait, this isn't fair.

Speaker 6 (32:29):
It's interesting how in the in the service of the story,
anything is possible, you know, and and so so if
all of that kind of teaching becomes very sort of
fungible in a sense, because it's not that it's uh,
did you say there's no question? Then yeah, I love that.

Speaker 4 (32:49):
You just said fungible. Okay, take that.

Speaker 6 (32:56):
What did I I remember in an audition one time
I used a word to the director was there. It
wasn't fungible, but I said a word of The director said, anybody,
you can use that word as hired and he hired
me right now. So it was just one of those things.
It was it was, it was a little part, but
I can't remember what the word was now come to me.
But you know, I think I don't think my sense

(33:19):
of this is always that Michael did not Michael was
so interested in the service of the story he was
trying to tell. He didn't worry so much about what
happened before or what was going to happen afterwards. The
show stood in its own reality absolutely. I mean, there

(33:41):
were threads that were pulled all the time, but those
kinds of threads were very you know, he could go
back and forth or go to different areas in order
to serve a story.

Speaker 4 (33:52):
You know, and we loved that he did what he did.
It just was also like, wait, but you make the
kids do it, okay.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Real life. How many times have parents told their children
have the right thing to do, We're going to take
the high road. But when it hit the fan for them, they're.

Speaker 9 (34:06):
Likely no human element.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
That's a thing we saw how many times Paul would
fly off the handle of carolyntink don't act in haste.
So there was also a running theme that they were
terribly human and he would completely screw it up every now.

Speaker 4 (34:21):
And again, including beating up Almonzo every now and then.

Speaker 6 (34:24):
Yeah, sure, because that's what you do.

Speaker 4 (34:27):
That's just what You look at his face and you
want to punch it.

Speaker 6 (34:31):
That's just what it is. So it's just the young
whipper snapper that needed to be you know, needed to
be controlled in some way. But you know, it's interesting
so many times we've seen in these scenes and now
the girls were the girls in the scene in that
scene we're talking about.

Speaker 4 (34:51):
No, it was just Carrien, right right, it was just Carrie.

Speaker 6 (34:54):
So because in other scenes like that, it's one of
Michael's favorite devices to say no, Pa, you always say
blah blah blah, which Mary or if Mary or Laura
had been in that scene, you'd sort of have to.

Speaker 4 (35:11):
That's true, say something that that is true, that is true.
I bet if they were in that scene they yeah.

Speaker 6 (35:18):
Well, I don't know what he would have done again
because of the story, but he is not adverse to
being corrected by his children. That's that's that's.

Speaker 4 (35:27):
What which happens right after this, because they're all around
the table and they're like, hey, we're gonna.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
Work, and yeah we can.

Speaker 6 (35:34):
We don't need the sugar. You always say it's bad
for your teeth, right, yeah. And then and then the
coffee keeps you awake at night.

Speaker 7 (35:41):
Boy, we don't love coffee, yeah, which is actually true.

Speaker 4 (35:46):
It's always like, why are they having coffee right before
they go to bed? That's dumb, that's a little crazy crazy.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
My family's not going to work. And then they're like,
but we're supposed to chip in, and we're all doing it.
I mean, Carrie's and.

Speaker 6 (36:00):
I'll melt the cow, right, which I thought, what a
wonderful thing to establish. So he establishes this knowledge with
Carrie right up front. So of course that line completely lands.
I mean we saw her do it, whether she could
ever do it, Yeah, that's why.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
He caves, because baby Carrie's gone, I'll make the cow.

Speaker 6 (36:18):
And now he's like, and then we get we get
Michael's quivering lip, and you know, as he stands up
to say, what a great I have such an amazing family,
and you know, I mean, this is the stuff that
my people criticized Michael for years for that kind of sentimentality.
I mean, but my god, it just lands with people.

(36:42):
It's so disarming. It just takes you to this.

Speaker 4 (36:46):
Place well and here's here's but I also think the
reason why. First of all, if you're bitter about that
who hurt you? What's happening in your life? Like who
hurt you?

Speaker 6 (36:58):
One?

Speaker 4 (36:58):
The Second of all, I think the difference between Little
House and other shows that I've seen that are like
family friendly, like family value shows, is that the other
shows seem to have a sort of syrupy.

Speaker 1 (37:16):
Saccherin over.

Speaker 6 (37:19):
I think Touched an Angel absolutely could not watch it.

Speaker 7 (37:23):
Yeah, and like Seventh, watching the Seventh Heaven was supposed
to that tune, it was just like, oh there, it
was just there was something so and it was also
it also did not ring true.

Speaker 4 (37:37):
It didn't feel real right. And in Little House you
have these very simple Listen, this episode is simple, like
Allison said, there isn't even a b story to it,
Like it is the most simple nothing right. But there's
an authenticity to it. There's such heart to it, and

(37:58):
they're not sugarcoat the family values. It just is it's
that core thing that we all strive to either have
or wish we had had had, or wish or hope
to have with our own families. That rings very very
very true, very authentic, it's not flick and it's not polished.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
The acting and the writing made it work. And I
will tell you that my father, who deans retally, knew
what cynical as they come. And my father used to say,
I hate sentimentality, but he shaid, I hate fake sentimentality.
That's it, that's the different. Mentality is okay, And he said, no,
the way they're doing it on the ship, because of
the acting and the writing, he said, it's it's real.

(38:42):
You buy it. He said, I don't just like to
feel sentimentality, he said fakeality though it's just like right.

Speaker 4 (38:49):
And even the music it's not a phony music. It
adds to the totally the heart.

Speaker 6 (38:55):
David Rose's sub that that underscore totally fuels the emotion
life of these characters for the audience. It's just it's
crystal clear what people are feeling when.

Speaker 4 (39:06):
You But then you can also have scenes in silence,
like you were at the barn, just silence, and that
is enough.

Speaker 6 (39:14):
I think I think something else that with the sentimentality,
Michael also has a way. He can turn that on
a dime and find the humor in a moment which
immediately can yank you back away from the sentimentality into
a good natured laugh. And I think that I just
think that the balance of that that he was able

(39:34):
to strike allowed the audience to be surprised by where
the emotion's turning. People's lives, the emotional lives that we
all have can turn on a dime depending on what happens.
And I think Michael he wrote it that way, and
it's the His dialogue is so simple. I mean, Michael
doesn't write big, long speeches. And you know Michael would

(39:58):
never use fungible on the line. Okay, he just wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
He wouldn't missus.

Speaker 4 (40:09):
Whipple uses it every other sentence I know.

Speaker 6 (40:18):
His. But he made everything so clearly understood what he
was trying to say. I just think when you see
an episode like this, you really get that. I think
people respected Michael, but I don't think that he was
I don't think he had that industry respect that what

(40:39):
he did deserved because I'm sured audiences in this profound
way and continues to capture audio changing world. He still
is able to capture people because there's truth in what
he's writing about.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
That's it.

Speaker 6 (40:57):
We should take a quick break because we're just burning
time here.

Speaker 4 (41:01):
We're gonna take a quick break. Everybody, have a fungible
time away. I'll be right back.

Speaker 10 (41:10):
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(41:33):
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Speaker 1 (41:45):
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for their commitment to presenting the Little House fiftieth Anniversary podcast.

Speaker 4 (42:00):
I don't even think I'm using it properly, No, but
it's funny.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Made me laugh.

Speaker 6 (42:07):
Oh, I know the word I used. It was probative
with the director. I was because I was there to
play a judge and I talked about something provid if
he said, anybody who can use that word in a
sense I'm hiring you right now.

Speaker 4 (42:23):
How did you use it in the.

Speaker 6 (42:24):
By the way, but who knows, but it was, but
it was it was in the right context. And he
just said, Wow, anybody who can use that word, I'm hiring.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
You ills ad skills, get out of high school. The
proficiency exam. And when I put the proficiency exam and
I finished, okay early, A few people finished early in
the role people I knew my friends were.

Speaker 6 (42:51):
Like, I'm done.

Speaker 1 (42:51):
And I wan up to the guy and I handed
him the test papers and I said, sorry, that was
a rather tedious test. And he looked at me in exasperation,
rolled his eyes and said, you just used tedious in
a sentence. I'm telling you you passed.

Speaker 6 (43:06):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
Wow, Well.

Speaker 6 (43:10):
I think we're back. We're totally yeah, we're back.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
Cabular because we do. Everyone who was on the show
has like freak.

Speaker 6 (43:22):
Yes, so all right, so we haven't even gotten to that,
you know. So you know, Charles going out, Charles going
out and finding the jobs twenty five cents a day,
and then he goes to Baker McKay's house, and we.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
Have to stop to accept the fact that yes, he
asked the Blacksmith, the scary, scary blacksmith that we don't
know is scary until season eight seven whatever it is Smith,
But anyway, he asks everybody for a job. I'll never
look at that blacksmith ever.

Speaker 6 (43:53):
The same ever, he gave him the job for twenty
five cents a day.

Speaker 4 (43:57):
Well he did he get the people people.

Speaker 6 (44:01):
On Indonesia have been making, you know, sweatshirts for Walmart
for twenty five cents a day up until pretty recently.

Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yeah, they have.

Speaker 6 (44:10):
I mean that really sort of. It's really astonishing actually.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
And Mary's raking it in at missus Whipples.

Speaker 6 (44:16):
But yeah, right, she made a buck seventy for a
week's work.

Speaker 4 (44:19):
And let me tell you something. May we all have
a boss like miss Whipple in our lives at some point?

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Quality of your work.

Speaker 4 (44:29):
She is adorable, She pays well, she tips, she's gracious
and kind. And you know, my whole theory is that
she has an illegal manny petty operation going on in
her basement somewhere. But that's just my that's just my theory.
French tips, the French tips are all coming from missus
whipples place under there, so Mary's hem and you know,

(44:53):
sewing a hem and a skirt. She's going down and
doing the acrylics on the side.

Speaker 6 (44:58):
Like this is like this is girls, this is that
wouldn't look that wouldn't occur to me. It just wouldn't
occur to.

Speaker 1 (45:05):
Laura tells Miss Beetle that the reason it's not finishing
her work, well besides that they're all pulling these double shifts,
is well I did the run out the pencils. So
Miss Beetle does the super super Miss Beetle thing like friend,
I will buy your stuff, and she give me stole
box like alone, She's totally cool. But they go to
the Marcan.

Speaker 6 (45:22):
Child and yes, so yes, we need to get to
that moment because this is among your most evening because
it's the look. Not only what you say is horrible,
it's the look on your face.

Speaker 4 (45:37):
When you see they're even coming exactly.

Speaker 6 (45:40):
It's like, how do how am I going to destroy
this girl right now?

Speaker 4 (45:46):
I believe as.

Speaker 1 (45:47):
She walked up and I first see here, I turn
and I'm smiling, and I realized there was a look
of absolute joy and rapture on my face. Here she comes.
I can't George.

Speaker 6 (46:04):
And and you and you did.

Speaker 4 (46:07):
It's that, it was it was that that expression of
glee of knowing that you were about to torture this girl.
That that makes it particularly horrifying. And the thing that
you say. What you say to her though, too, is
just so awful. I mean it's it is awful.

Speaker 6 (46:30):
And for a little girl who worships her father to
have to be told this about and he smells like
he can't get a decent job, he has no money
and he smells my so does a mule. Yeah that's
a great gaime. I you know, look, I think you

(46:50):
could probably say something like that, but we have to
always think that Michael's putting these He he got you
so well, Yeah, he's got what that character could be
so well.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
People blame me. It's Michael is the one standing next
to the camera going hit her again, hit her again, coming
up with all these terrible, terrible things I say and do.
It's like he's writing this stuff and she's gonna tell
her that her, you know, she he's the evil genius
who said.

Speaker 6 (47:19):
Terrible and absolutely crying.

Speaker 1 (47:23):
She's crying almost as that stuttering girl with the waterworks.

Speaker 4 (47:27):
Yes she is.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
He's sobbing, And I'm just saying I would have been
I'm gonna say more bad things.

Speaker 6 (47:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (47:33):
And also Willie is just I just want to slap
him too, because again, what.

Speaker 6 (47:40):
Is that little voice that he that the little voice,
a little whistling, squeaky voice that he had.

Speaker 8 (47:46):
Yeah, yeah, it's almost like there are some people that
their natural voices aren't their chest voices connect set.

Speaker 4 (47:58):
And he has that all false zetto sound you get,
and it's like so crazy.

Speaker 1 (48:05):
Went until he was like fourteen, and then literally it
was like one.

Speaker 6 (48:08):
Day he became hellone snap. Yeah, he became a young
man overnight when it seems to.

Speaker 1 (48:17):
Like basically he was one of those but yeah, so cute,
so cute, but yes, you all can't work. And he
smells and he's terrible and she's and it's yeah yeah,
And then this Beetle, is usually more observant, does not
realize that why he has run away. I know, it's
kind of obvious.

Speaker 6 (48:34):
I mean, and you're so cold blooded about it. You
have no idea what happened.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
I don't know why she in the worst fire. Both
will and oh yeah, we don't know why she.

Speaker 6 (48:47):
Just up and ran away. Yeah, she just up and
ran away. All that.

Speaker 4 (48:50):
In my notes I have written Nelly is evil period.
It's just cruel, cruel, cruelty and enjoying the cruelty. But
you do so well.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Do you mind trying in the garden at home? And
Paul has ye?

Speaker 6 (49:05):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (49:06):
Do you remember when you read that script or when
you guys were filming that scene you do where you were.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
You also liked it was a good one. I remember,
Militia and I had so much fun that day. Oh
we were cracking ourselves up because I was saying all
these dines like sobbing. We were having so much fun
that we were just like, yeah, this was a great one. Yeah,
I love this stuff. I was just like, oh, you're
so awful. Yes, I So we thought this was great
and it was God.

Speaker 4 (49:30):
You guys had that relationship with so fortunate.

Speaker 6 (49:34):
If it wasn't like that, if you hadn't really liked
each other, that could have been so toxic. Its been incredible.

Speaker 1 (49:41):
Oh yeah, she wore like laugh and she's going, yeah
you stink too, you know how hard and we're just
killing ourself. But it was one of those ones. I
would sit with the lines like the night before and go,
you know, just kind of reading and try different sort
of intentions, readings like you know your Paul smells like
a horse smells, and which was the most grating and

(50:05):
find ways to say it and go oh, that's annoying,
and then try a different one, go oh, that's even
more annoying. And when I got to the line reading
that just made me want to punch myself in the face,
and that, yeah, that's the one. That's the one when
it was like fingernails on the blackboard sound to me
and I went, oh, perfect, we'll go with that one.

(50:30):
And so yeah, it was very methodical, like how bad
can I make this?

Speaker 4 (50:34):
And we really do as awful as it is having
to feel the feelings of the Nelly missus Olsen, you know,
Willie Wrath. It is true that we have to have
that tension in the show, especially in an episode like this,
which is so simple and people otherwise we've gotten nothing.

(50:57):
We're fighting. We're not fighting for anything exactly.

Speaker 1 (51:00):
Are snobs and kids are horrible. Snobs horrible. Hey, your
parents are out of work and you're have anywhere old
clothes and you're hanging your shoes are from Walmart and
you can't.

Speaker 6 (51:07):
Kids are awful, shaking, kids are terrible.

Speaker 1 (51:10):
Poor Laura's crying and then being in pain. Children have
felt this and people watching it have gone, oh, I
did this. I yeah, And in seventy six, during the recession,
seventy five parents going, oh my god, I'm my kid's
going to get this at school. We don't have any money,
we can't buy them in the new clothes. Are they going
to come home crying?

Speaker 4 (51:26):
Like Laura?

Speaker 1 (51:26):
This was horrible for people to watch. So when Laura
finally punches me in the.

Speaker 6 (51:32):
Face, yes, well then yeah, you're just cheering for her.
And that scene. Look that, I think the key scene
in the show. I'm sorry you have to just so
ran away on the I'm just jumping through my outline here.
Uh you know, Laura explains what Nelly said, and Pop,

(51:59):
being very fourth right, said, yeah, I mean it's true
two out of three. I mean I clean the stables
and I smell bath working all day. I mean, I
you know, I don't smell like lemon verbina. But then
the key to it is any job a man can
do to make his way in the world is a
decent job, as long as he works hard at it

(52:19):
and does his best. That is the universal lesson in
the show. That line, and that's the line that empowers
Laura to go to school the next day after saying
I love you so much, Pop, and go to school
the next day and straight now Nelly and every and

(52:42):
she's good at that point, I mean, she is totally good.

Speaker 1 (52:45):
And he says, aren't you used to nearly teasing? And
she goes, yes, but it wasn't about.

Speaker 6 (52:50):
About me, right And he goes, so was it about
about me?

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Isn't it? It's it? And that's the oh, the heartbreaker
right there. It's it's so good, it's so good. It's
really it's so good to know they insulted my parents.
That's when you and people only looking down, looking down
on hard working people. People only say people smell bad
to stick their nose in the air.

Speaker 6 (53:14):
In the air hard working folks only smell bad to
people who have nothing better to do than stick their
noses in the air. Bam, that's the line. And so
that follow up is actually it's that follow up that
gives the law of the powers to straighten myself.

Speaker 1 (53:32):
And she hits me.

Speaker 4 (53:32):
And let's also just say, like, what an important thing
for kids to watch and see this. I was just
as we were talking about this, I was thinking, like,
what is equivalent to that today, Like what if we
had that my kids could watch and learn these lessons from.
I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker 6 (53:55):
I don't think there's much on television today because there's
such moral ambiguity.

Speaker 4 (54:00):
But even since since that, I mean, in the past
twenty thirty years.

Speaker 6 (54:05):
It's hard. It's hard that kind of moral clarity is
without card to identify, without being preachy and about the sentimentality.
That's it is really really tough to find me. A
lot of Michael's gifts.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
Kids TV, A lot of it is focused on material
things that you should have, the new shoes and the
new clothes, and that is great. There's a thing, I mean,
I think i'tching like a couple of cartoons where they
like said, no, don't pick on the kid who doesn't
have the new shoes. But it's like it's slim pickens
for that, and that's what this is. Like, No, no,
you shouldn't be torturing people have less than you and

(54:39):
punching down as it were, this is all.

Speaker 4 (54:42):
Right, right, I mean, I guess Dean, this goes hand
in hand with your book that you're going to be writing.

Speaker 6 (54:49):
Yeah, no, exactly, these kinds this theme is such a
powerful one and I think so important today. I hesitate
to always hesitate to get into the current thing. But
you know, when we've we've listened to our president tell
people that, you know, girls don't need thirty dolls. They

(55:09):
you know, should be happy with two dolls that might
cost a few bucks more. It's just sort of a
it's it's really an obtuse thing to say, particularly for
a guy who's never has to worry about the price

(55:30):
of anything. Right.

Speaker 1 (55:31):
We have so many people in power, politicians who've never
been to the supermarket, who've never put gas in their
own car, who literally have no idea what their constituents
even do all day. And that's the problem. It's hard
to hear when there's children. I'm sorry, there's a lot
of children with new dolls and sitting there here and
you can have two. There's people at homegoing out one right, right,

(55:52):
So people are really, you know, having a hard time,
and that's that's why, you know, little people are having
a horrible time.

Speaker 6 (55:58):
In the seventies, it is like ram, yeah, yeah, inflation
was running like you know, it was high. It was
just nine percent or something in gas well get and
of course gasoline wasn't at today's crisis, but relatively they were.
You know, that was the burst from twenty five cents

(56:20):
a gallon to a dollar plus a gallon in nineteen
seventy four, and it just kept going up. Now we're
you know, one fifty one. It was really shocking to people.

Speaker 1 (56:31):
Hamburger Helper. That's when Hamburger Helper got invented and became
popular because people didn't have food.

Speaker 4 (56:38):
Right, they could afford ground shot and right and pasta
right and noodles.

Speaker 6 (56:44):
Yeah, no, exactly, Well, and I apologize for bringing the
contemporary reference into that.

Speaker 4 (56:51):
So I don't apologize. That's but don't apologize also because
the reason why this show is still relevant is because
of still ties into present day and certainly what's currently
going on in the United States of America absolutely comes
into play. You know, these lessons of just basic empathy,

(57:14):
being kind to each other, and what Ellison said, like
why are we punching down? Why are we punching down?

Speaker 6 (57:21):
Right?

Speaker 4 (57:22):
And people have to you know, maybe that is not
an innate human thing. I mean, maybe people have to
be taught compassion. You know, obviously something has to be.

Speaker 6 (57:35):
Oh I think people do. Yeah, I don't think it's.

Speaker 4 (57:37):
Necessarily kindness, right, I mean.

Speaker 6 (57:40):
I think it is learned behavior. It is learned behavior.
And I think this is what Michael was so good
at was offering foundational lessons in through very clear, unambiguous
examples of how a way to consider behaving and a
way to look at and say that maybe this is
how you don't want to behave right, because this is

(58:02):
the cost of that behavior, right. And I just think
that clarity is so important. And I agree, Alison you
just said, I mean, it is why the show continues
to be relevant because it does teach those simple lessons.

Speaker 1 (58:20):
And then I'm believing and they leave me there and.

Speaker 4 (58:24):
Right, then there's that, you know, the whole kind of
the whole empathy. And it's well.

Speaker 11 (58:30):
Let's well after you come and let's play Horsey. Laura's
father smells like a horse. Let's get him and ride him.
I mean, come on you of course you got punched.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
Yeah, such a punishable face.

Speaker 6 (58:46):
Oh my god, the sneer, the cold it's the it's
the ice cold eyes that are It's just like all
that brain matter is spinning and it's it's coldly it's
like laser focus. How can I screw up. This person's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
That's the face and then glee and then.

Speaker 4 (59:14):
Yes, wait, I just need to say one thing. So
remember how I've talked about the school mom episode where
mom Ma comes home from a really hard day at
school and pause there and he's like, she's like, oh,
I have to cook dinner now, and he's like, don't worry,
I've already cooked it. And that's hot, hot hot, like yay, okay.

(59:36):
This episode, this episode, we have Paw coming home from
a hard day and Ma is in the field plowing
the field and how I mean, and he practically drops
his pants right there in the field. It is so
so awesome.

Speaker 1 (59:56):
We've seen posh and I have to when Miss Beetle
came by and he had the shirt open and the sweat,
I did not notice how shiny this chest was as
a young person. As an older lady, my his chest
is rather shiny. It's very shy stunnach and there. Yet
they've both been working hard. They're both covered in dirt

(01:00:18):
and sweat. She's not only he's they're both filthy, dirty
and sweaty. And it's like I love you and ready
working love it.

Speaker 6 (01:00:30):
One of the hottest kisses. I think they ever did.

Speaker 1 (01:00:33):
By far, By far, the horse starts pawing the ground.
I'm telling you the ho It's things are going on.

Speaker 4 (01:00:46):
That it's a great scene.

Speaker 6 (01:00:50):
It's a wonderful it's a wonderful scene. And uh, it
says so much about their relationship, and well, it also says, no,
I don't know, you know, where they were personally at
the beginning of season two. I would imagine that they

(01:01:11):
had already entered a certain degree of, you know, of
issues with each other. But boy, they could always look
at the same boy, they could put that aside. And
that's pretty spectactic.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
And everybody should have any from this freaking show, because
there are people who were like, were they getting along? No,
not really, but wait, they love each other, yes, because
they can act these people, because even if they were
mad at somebody, they're like, Okay, time to go and
make the show.

Speaker 6 (01:01:38):
And we made the show. Yeah, you just you just
turn the emotion where it needs to go.

Speaker 4 (01:01:44):
And and I was thinking that too, Dean. I was like,
I think they probably hated each other during you would never.

Speaker 6 (01:01:54):
Yeah, now he did drop back. I mean, who knows
what was really happening in that We'll never know. I mean,
that would be a great question for Karen to ask
if she remember she remembered that kiss, but it was.
It's a great moment in the show. So yeah, look,

(01:02:14):
got to like that one.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
And then we want that old lady with the money.
We have the money, that's right.

Speaker 4 (01:02:19):
So the final scene they all come to the mercantile
and the way they.

Speaker 1 (01:02:24):
Ask for stuff and I would like several more tablets, yes,
and I.

Speaker 6 (01:02:27):
Would and sugar right exactly, and we're playing and we're
paying cash. So it's like which obviously would have been
music to Missus Olsen's ears. She's not, you know, wanting
to get into credit again right away, but it's it's
just the again, It's just it takes us everything that's

(01:02:49):
happened in the episode leads us to that moment of
satisfaction that they have resolved this and they have they
have honored their commitment, They've done it to the best
of their ability. Something that was a great piece of
tribute today. You know, pause counting coins and bills and
he hands missus Olsen bills. There's no change in what

(01:03:13):
he hands her. So it's like, you know, I mean,
little things like that people noticed that stuff. As I
was reading about it today, that struck me as like,
oh wow, and I never would have picked.

Speaker 4 (01:03:24):
Up on that, but wait, what were you reading?

Speaker 6 (01:03:27):
Oh? It was it was actually so it was on
the Little House on the Prairie dot com episode guide,
and they always do little pieces of tribute and so
someone you know, they whoever is watching and fueling that,
I mean, you know who knows, but they've they've done
some really good observations about the show that's just sort

(01:03:48):
of interesting, quirky stuff. And that was one of those things,
counting coins and then he hands her the folded bills
and you can count it's all here.

Speaker 4 (01:03:58):
Very good.

Speaker 6 (01:03:59):
Yeah, it was good. I noticed it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
I totally he did you well.

Speaker 4 (01:04:04):
And then the most touching thing, which is Nells is
the one that delivers the infamous line Poor Nells of
in Walnut Grove makes me so sad for Nells, but
is jealous. Well, he knows what he doesn't have.

Speaker 1 (01:04:23):
He knows I would like to think my children, But yes,
I would like to think.

Speaker 6 (01:04:31):
Yeah, I know that they would do that. Yeah, and
we all know that wouldn't happen. They'd be complaining bitterly
every second about it. Yeah, yeah, no, Nells. Well, look,
Nells as an element is what makes his family, what
makes Harriet and Nelly so redeemable beyond the humor, but

(01:04:53):
it's Nell's ability to love them. Yeah, that that makes
them You've got as you know, was Reverend Alden said. Try.
I sometimes it's hard to understand people or try not
to be so hard on people if you can, uh
you sometimes what did he say? Something that you have
to look a little harder to find the good? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:05:13):
Good in all people, it's.

Speaker 6 (01:05:15):
Harder to find. Yeah, that's a really, that's a really,
that's a really. You were before we started, didn't you.
Were you saying something about that scene Pamela or Nelson
about Yeah you thought, but it was something about well,
he's he said, he was, you know, he was he
was slashing like a like a like a hate like

(01:05:35):
a watering trough or something, because.

Speaker 12 (01:05:37):
He was going everywhere and having tea and you know
the then he you know, then then pa he runs
it back then like you know, thirty seconds forty five
seconds later, Paw runs it back after the reverend says
you've missed your calling.

Speaker 6 (01:05:51):
Right, I don't like tea? And they have a good laugh. Yeah, Yeah,
Michael Button's things so well, you know, he plants a
seed and pays it off. Everything is everything pays off
and it's funny, you know where sort of that's sort

(01:06:13):
of the end of the episode. You're the richest man
of Walnut Grove. I noticed as the series went on
and towards the end when Michael was not as involved
because he wasn't there all the time. He was around,
but there were things in episodes that just didn't add
up and in the end, and I think that if

(01:06:35):
Michael had been more engaged that I think those threads
would have been caught and he would have pulled those
threads through more accurately. But he was just brilliant about it.
He really was. And the more you watch this and
it look, I think we've talked about this, I am

(01:06:58):
because of this book that I'm writing, I am really
making a commitment to watch the series much more.

Speaker 4 (01:07:07):
You've seen this episode before, I had not.

Speaker 6 (01:07:10):
I had you have to tell I know that I
know the title. Yeah, well I obviously knew the title
because it was it's a really catchy title, but uh,
I had not seen and it's it's.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
I love that you're experiencing this.

Speaker 6 (01:07:27):
Yeah, I'm loving it. I it's giving me this ever
deepening appreciation for what we were all involved in. That
I always knew that we were involved in something good,
but when you watch it, they look there's the you know,
there's also for the love of Blanche, which I didn't,
you know, quite get at the end, was that sort

(01:07:50):
of jump that's my jump the shark episode.

Speaker 4 (01:07:53):
But I think that's particularly.

Speaker 6 (01:07:56):
Early in the early in the early years of the series.
You It's that's why it has been so loved.

Speaker 4 (01:08:04):
Yeah, and it must make you understand the fandom even
more too, watching these episodes that you've never seen that
are really like the core foundation of of the fandom
and why people love it so.

Speaker 6 (01:08:16):
Well that I'm having it, I'm enjoying it a lot
and appreciating the work that people and you can see
people's work, you know. I know all these names in
the credit role, you know, I mean I know most
of them. The cinematography in this episode. Ted boyd Lander
shot this episode. Ted was Michael's favorite guy. He shot

(01:08:41):
with everybody. He shot with Buzz Bogs too, but but
he had his way. But Michael's choice was to shoot
with Ted and Buzz did the alternative the other episodes
that and did more of. Bill Claxton worked more with Buzz.
Both fantastic, very different in the way they lit. I

(01:09:01):
think I think Ted was really They were both artistic,
but I think Ted was really a master light. He
could he could make those particularly in a scene, in
scenes that are lit by candlelight.

Speaker 4 (01:09:14):
I was about to say, I was the yes that
that stood out so beautifully, How beautiful that looks?

Speaker 6 (01:09:23):
Yeah, that scene, the scene where and we need to
jump out here and I'm sorry we need to do
but uh, the scene where Michael is expressing his you
know where that he wakes up and needs to he
needs to he can't sleep. He's totally backlit. Yeah, you know,

(01:09:44):
so the light's on, ma he's right there in the foreground,
but you can't see his face as he's talking about
how sad he is.

Speaker 4 (01:09:53):
Yeah, and.

Speaker 6 (01:09:55):
You wouldn't see that. That's not a lighting choice that
most with the star of the program would make.

Speaker 4 (01:10:03):
But Mike, I wouldn't see that kind of stillness either.

Speaker 1 (01:10:06):
These it was so over lit. Everybody was like a
light all the time.

Speaker 6 (01:10:12):
It was it was the Universal Studios episodic approach where
you slammed, the lighted everywhere. There was no texture in anything.

Speaker 1 (01:10:21):
Show was super nexture and dark and general something. And
I love going back and watching the old episodes because
I forgot this one and I remember how much fun
this stuff was to shoot, and I just am and
then I'm floored with how good everything was.

Speaker 4 (01:10:35):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 6 (01:10:36):
It was absolutely the most beautiful show on television in
its era, and I think it would give. I mean, look,
there's a lot of beautiful photography on television today because
cameras and lenses and the speed of these chips on
the on the digital cameras is so exceptional. Lenses have
gotten so good. But I mean we shot with we

(01:10:58):
had the you know, we had the Panavision truck there.
There were fifty lenses on that truck. You could pull
out anything you wanted. The whole package was there, so
they had the full array of toys to work with,
and Ted really knew how to make everything look beautiful.
And well, the show is just so special. We need
to race for the exit.

Speaker 4 (01:11:19):
Yeah, take that Walton's. It all comes back to that.

Speaker 6 (01:11:22):
Yes, the Waltons was not beautifully let it. It was
okay fighting, but it was not it was not that
it did not have the texture that Little House had visually.

Speaker 4 (01:11:36):
Yeah, Yeah, that's all I'm gonna throw down.

Speaker 6 (01:11:43):
They're not gonna they're not gonna they're not gonna quibble
with me on that.

Speaker 4 (01:11:49):
All right, all right, Well, don't expect another social media post.
That's all I'm gonna say after anything. John boy Is, Yeah,
I don't think that.

Speaker 6 (01:11:58):
I don't think that they were. I don't think they
would have worried about that. You know, as they're doing
scenes around the dinner table with ten people at the
dinner table every single time, they didn't want to have
to relte for everybody. They needed to have that and
just move the camera and let's shoot.

Speaker 4 (01:12:16):
Right, Yes, get her done, get her done exactly?

Speaker 1 (01:12:20):
All right?

Speaker 4 (01:12:20):
Well, I think we got her done today with this episode,
this beautiful episode. I just love this episode. It's so lovely.
But thanks everybody, thanks for joining us. What else? Anything else?

Speaker 6 (01:12:32):
Sure?

Speaker 7 (01:12:32):
Join us on socials, Little House fifty Podcast our website
www dot littlehousefiftypodcast dot com.

Speaker 4 (01:12:39):
Join us on Patreon. We're going to do that right now.
And if you're not a member, what are you waiting for?
Come on? Do it? We're fun. Also, we had a
Patreon live Q and A this past week. It was fabulous,
such a weird, real questions, such great questions. We had
such a good I think we were on for over
an hour and a half.

Speaker 6 (01:12:56):
Oh it was a long It was a long time.
It was at that happen.

Speaker 4 (01:13:00):
They sure did. They were amazing. So anyway, come and
join us if you haven't joined us already, and we
will see you next time. Bob, get the wig. Let's
lie everybody, let's do it. He's right there.