"Ebenezer Sprague" recap!

This week we’re talking Season 2, Episode 3: “Ebenezer Sprague,” the episode that asks the timeless question: What if Scrooge ran a frontier bank? 

Walnut Grove finally gets a bank, and everyone’s excited—until the new banker arrives and immediately says “no” to literally everyone. Loans? No. Hope? No. Smiles? Absolutely not.

Enter Laura, who goes fishing and accidentally becomes the only human Ebenezer Sprague doesn’t hate. With no financial agenda and zero awareness of adult boundaries, Laura chips away at his icy exterior. Progress! But then Pa applies for a loan, and Sprague jumps to the wild conclusion that Laura has been running a long con. (Because yes, Laura Ingalls: criminal mastermind.)

Laura is crushed, Sprague is grumpy, Pa looks ridiculously hot in long johns, and everyone learns a valuable lesson about trust, cynicism, and why you should maybe not accuse a child of emotional manipulation. It's the epitome of what Little House is all about. We laugh, we sigh, and we marvel at how Little House made frontier banking dramatic—and somehow still heartwarming.

Then, join us on Patreon where we talk about a very important subject: Teeth! Yes. I said TEETH.


Links and Resources:

Haven’t signed up for Patreon yet? Get more behind the scenes info and fun conversation we can't do on the podcast...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!

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

Facebook/Instagram/TikTok:
Dean Butler @officialdeanbutler
Alison Arngrim @alisonarngrim
Pamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietv

Social Media Team: Joy Correa and Christine Nunez 
https://www.paclanticcreative.com/


Producer: Tony Sweet
www.ubngo.com





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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, bonnet heads, listen before we start our show today,
just a quick word first. Unbeknownst to us, we had
some mic issues while recording this episode you're about to hear,
so there may be a couple of pops in the
sound every now and then. We cleaned it up as
much as we can, but please bear with us. I'm
so sorry. If it's annoying, it won't happen again. But

(00:23):
more importantly, the news around the country and around the
world has been incredibly heavy. We know that, and we
know that in times like these it can feel difficult
to laugh or to feel joy. But we know that
now more than ever, we all need a safe space
to land. We're going to keep things light today and

(00:46):
focus on the stories that make us smile, because we
believe that sharing a happy moment is its own kind
of medicine. Our hearts are with the people of Minneapolis
and all around the world. So grab a warm drink,
settle in, and let's spend some time on the prairie.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
If you're listening right now to the Little House fiftieth
Anniversary podcast, we know something about you. We know that
you're obsessed with Little House of the Prairie for.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
More than half a century, Little House on the Prairie,
the series and the books have been bright lights for
people all over the world who seek out goodness, decency,
and human connection.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Here on the Little House fiftieth Anniversary Podcast, we celebrate
everything that made Little House so special.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
The stories, the characters, the actors, and the messages that
have made Little House iconic family television.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
And a perfect counterpoint to a world that feels like
it's going off the rails every day.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Where is Michael Landon when we need him most. I'm
your host, Pamela Bob, and I'm your Prairie bitch, Alice
at Aringrem and I'm Dean Butler, our hashtag imaginary boyfriend.
Join us for our loving, quirky, and often irreverent conversations
about the finest family drama in the history of television.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
And the imperfect people who made it that way.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
In this third season, we are extremely grateful for the
support of visit Seemi Valley dot com for their continuing
sponsorship of Little House on the Prairie and the Little
House fiftieth Anniversary Podcast. All Right, welcome, bonnet Heeads. How
are you. I'm Pamela Bob, your host creator and star
of Living on a Prairie and super fan. I am here,

(02:31):
indeed with the ever loving Prairie Bitch Alison arngrim wa Awe,
and our hashtag imaginary boyfriend them Butler. Hi, guys, hey going.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
I think the biggest question on mine mind right now,
Pamela is how's the weather.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
God.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Well, as you know, I screenshotted the weather report for
the next week and texted it to you, guy, Buzinka said,
meeting in person, right, guys, get me out of here.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
Now, you said a little bit wild. You also sent
a little clip yesterday. Was this your little pupper running
around in the park in the rolling in the snow.
She's very cute.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
She loves the snow. She is a snow baby for sure,
so she is in heaven. But this morning we went
out and you know, she like sort of reill and
then immediately sunk in it and the snow was well
over her.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
She still is loving it.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
It's a lot of snow. She's absolutely loving Yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
Yeah, So Alison and I went here this morning. I
think it's fifty eight degrees this morning. The degree is no,
I just said it was fifty eight, fifty eight degrees.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, Allison out. Allison texted me the ten to day
weather report for and then she texted me the ten
day la for it cast, which is all like seventy
five degrees. That responded with that was so nelly of.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
One coming up to sixty one about now. But it
should be a high of seventy seventy one today sunshine.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
So and to take your mind off the weather panel,
I just I'm share this cup that that we received
last week from Rachel Has. Our twenty fifth anniversary was
was last week. So we've got cups, we've got plates,
I mean really sweet stuff that has has come to

(04:38):
us as a result of our twenty fifth anniversary.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Did you guys date before you got five years?

Speaker 4 (04:43):
And I was I was coming out of my first
trial marriage, which was which was challenging, and so I
was very slow to step in the second time. But
the day I stepped in, you know, the day I
said I do, I was all in.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
So it's like, you know, yeah, I got to get.

Speaker 4 (05:08):
Well, that's there's a lot of silver on this cup,
you know, it's yeah, so it's not silver silver, but
it's silver.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
Anyway, that was good. You know, the weather's been the
weather's been nice here. Working on I'm working on buttoning
up a project separate and apart from Little House. We
are still downloading and digressing or buttoning up elements of
the December event, and of course working on Living the

(05:35):
Prairie Way, which is going to be coming out on
Mother's Day or around Mother's Day in twenty twenty seven.
So so lots going on here.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
Great, that's good. You bought some more time on that one.

Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah, no, that was that was really helpful.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
So your head isn't going to explode?

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Yes, oh my god, I mean it's sort of exploding,
but it won't burst.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, you'll save it. I just wanted to
say before we get onto the show. I've been seeing
some extraordinary theater in New York the past month or so,
and I saw the revival of Ragtime at Lincoln Center
this week.

Speaker 4 (06:13):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
And it is the quintessential in my opinion, it is
the great American musical and if you are in New York,
you must, must, must see it, especially in these times
that we're living in. It still pertains. You know. Rag
Time takes place in nineteen oh six and in New York,
and it's and it's the story of white Anglos African

(06:38):
Americans and immigrants at that time and how they all converge,
and my god, it's just glorious. And Allison, if you're
I think it's closing in June, so Alson, come in,
I'm coming in. Yeah, we're gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna
go again. I'm gonna go again. It's Freditable. Listen to
the soundtrack.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
That's all.

Speaker 4 (06:57):
That's awesome. That's awesome.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yes, But shall we Yeah?

Speaker 4 (07:02):
I think we should.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
Let's step into this right on this episode. You know,
this episode works her way into the heart of a
hard hearted man. What are we talking about. We'll let
you know in a moment. But first for media and
go and Prairie partners and visit Senior Valley dot com
and friends. This is the Little House on the Prairie

(07:23):
fiftieth anniversary podcast. We're we talking about today?

Speaker 4 (07:38):
Oh well today we're talking about now. This is interesting.
You know, there are all kinds of places that Little
House lives online and I went to watch this particular episode.
It shows up in my It shows up two different ways.

(07:58):
It shows up as episode three of season two and
episode nine of season two on Peacock. So yeah two
or season two? Is that right? Season two? Or is
it season three? I think it's yeah, I think it's
season I think it is season I think it is
season two.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Definitely, yeah two, So yes, I thought.

Speaker 4 (08:18):
It was yeah, so right exactly the first place I watched.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
It on Peacock last night too. I don't remember which.

Speaker 4 (08:24):
Yeah, and it shows up this episode Peacock. But anyway,
all right, enough where it shows up. The episode we're
talking about, of course, is Ebeneezer Sprague, which debuted on
November nineteenth. It's nineteen seventy five, written by Hindi Brooks
and directed wonderfully by Victor French. So, Allison, what is

(08:45):
this very cool special episode about? Well?

Speaker 2 (08:49):
And I have not seen this its and so I
watched it was like, oh, I forgotten me neither.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
I haven't either.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
What it's core a lesson and how fear and mistrust
can quietly wall us off from the world. Me, mister
frank Well, they named him Ebony harscrewgs like get at
least on the nose. Okay, as as the show, and

(09:16):
this is like pretty much like one plot. Here you go,
this is what this show was about. Don't get complicated
on us. I arise in Walnut Grove, armored against disappointment,
convinced that every kindness must hide an angle. Oh yes,
got drust nobody. Uh, it's kind of interesting guy.

Speaker 4 (09:32):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
And then along comes Laura, unfiltered and incapable of guile.
Oh yes. Through her persistence and sincerity and fishing, what
she cracks open a heart that had long ago closed
itself for protection. This episode reminds us that even the
most suspicious, fearful person can be coaxed back into humanity

(09:52):
by the simple truth of a genuine connection. Sometimes all
it takes is one honest child to prove that the
world isn't as dangerous as we've talked ourselves into believing.
And Hindi has written other way, Oh, Hindy wrote the rite,
but this one, this is one wrote open, open, and

(10:16):
one plot and like nothing, this is what's happening. Yeah,
banker comes and they build a building, and the banker
comes goes fishing, and.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah, there's no there's really there's no b story here.
It's it is very very straightforward. I mean Little House.
I think we all agree that because of the way
it was shot and edited, the Little House always has
a Jettler pace to it. This episode is very slow
and it's pacing.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
But it but it really it's really works.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
It works so nicely, but it's but it's a very
drilled down. Really, it drills down on this very this
emotional space that this man, Ebenezer Sprague is in and
how Laura, how Laura as she is inclined to do,
impacts It impacts even the most hard hearted man.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
And it's another one of those. Is Laura the little
tiny like ten eleven year old talking to complete strangers
again getting the vehicles extrange man, Yes she is, but
it's in service of the plot. Yes, By nineteen seventy
four to seventy five in Los Angeles, we all knew
perfectly well that you don't do that. And even in
the eighteen Hug likes it. If you read the books.
If you read the books, Laura and Mary just are

(11:36):
not running off for strange people without asking their parents.
That doesn't really happen. And if you read about Laura,
maw Ingles's absolutely going don't talk to him. So yes, no,
in real life, bone Pop, what do you mean you
met a dude fish absolutely with all hell with a
broken last. But in the story this is okay. And

(11:56):
of course in this case he's fine. He's fine, but
it's in service of this story. It is somehow completely
okay for her to be talking.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
I just want to bring up Hindy Brooks for a
moment here too. She here, she wrote, this is the
first of her two episodes that she wrote for Little Houses,
Alison said, the second one being The Rivals. She has
an interesting she has an interesting selection of the kinds
of things that she wrote. Going back to early in

(12:25):
her career, she wrote an episode of the Life and
Times of Grizzly Adams, which puts her in period space.
Then she wrote, and Pamela, I don't know if you're
familiar with and Alison, I'm sure you are familiar with
the wonderful say to Thompson James Broderick series Family that
gave us.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
Our big competition. They swept that.

Speaker 4 (12:45):
Yeah, this was considered a very important program in its.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
Time critic stars.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
You never see it now, but in that moment, it
was incredibly important, beautifully acted, very thoughtful and provocative. So
Hindy wrote five episodes of Family.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
Nicole was on at Quinn Cummings. You have the Universe.
It was a great show. But I do occasionally go
half because it was so adored by the critics and
by Hollywood New York and got all the good articles
and all the Emmys and all the press, and we
were like, we're over here, and now it's like, do
they they come out on DVD? In come? Are they streaming?
Are they streaming on RUG?

Speaker 4 (13:30):
They don't have a twenty four to seven streaming channel.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, they have a podcast, they don't have a p
It was.

Speaker 4 (13:38):
A very program.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
It was a great freaking show.

Speaker 4 (13:43):
The acting it was great. She wrote ten episodes of Fame,
which was another an ABC program, obviously based on the
feature film Fame. A b NBC had its version of Fame,
which was also considered a very important program in its time,
cutting edge themes, wonderful young actors, a whole cast was wonderful.

(14:08):
So very very just very thoughtful writing on Fame. And
then she wrote ten episodes of Eight Is Duugh, which
is not a program that I ever really spent a
lot of time watching, but a very popular program in its.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Time, another super family programming, bunch of kids, people dug it.
I knew people on it. It was another one of
those Yes, there were people.

Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, so really, I mean really a very important program
in its time. And then the last one I noted
here was Lindsay Wagner sort the nurse. I think she's
a nurse in a show called Jesse. Lindsay Wagner as
an actress. Lendsey Wagner as an actress could make the

(14:57):
most inane material seem important, seems sane. Lindsay Wager is
just so grounded in authenticity and truth. She just found
she could always find something that felt real. For now,
I think this was one of those things. I guess

(15:17):
what I'm thinking of is, you know, not wonder Woman,
but what was the thing the six million the Bionic Woman? Yeah,
I mean God made.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
That's because she's really ground in real life. You know
the fact our fabulous publicist Harlan Bull very good friends
with her aunt. She's a really cool person. She's a
very grounded, beautiful.

Speaker 4 (15:39):
And beautiful boy. Wonderful comes out. So anyway, Hindy Brooks
has had a had a nice had a nice writing career,
and this is just a smattering of a lot of
work that she did.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
It starts slow. I have in my notes, like the
first of it's it's very snow. So I even said
to Bob. I said to Bob, yeah, went you know,
Bob never watched Little Lasse SUBPARTI. He saw like a
minute here and there before and then after he got
married and we're going to a casher and I think
you got to watch. I said, well, you gotta watch
Lord is My Shepherd because we're on our way to
Sonora and everything. And uh, it was that first time
in Snoora at the film festival. So he sat down

(16:16):
to watch and he went, I'm gonna fall asleep. How
do you stay awake to like film this? Because it
starts so slow where it gets gone and he later
saw episodes that were like faster paced in funny he
was like, okay, okay, I get it now. I said, dude,
it's a good thing you didn't try to watch this
one first.

Speaker 4 (16:31):
You would.

Speaker 2 (16:31):
You wouldn't have made it fifteen minutes in because it's
just like you're going your way up and then it's
a slow build. It's a slow build.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, but it's a good payoff. But I also want
to say that that's I think that's I always take
for example, Sesame Street. You know, when I was growing
up on Sesame Street. It was slum, you know, mister Rogers.
It was calm. It let the kids do more of
the work, you know what I mean, Like we had
to use our it was and it was totally enjoyable.
And you watched Sesame Street now and it's like flash

(17:01):
flash flash quickick quick. I mean it's just so over stimulation,
oversaturated colors, and and the music is all electronic. And
I just think that we've lost that something special that
happened when we allowed ourselves some more space. And there
are so many episodes.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
It's downhill since.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
Been downhill since Elmo. Girl. You are absolutely right, that
is a bumper.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
I'm sorry, I'm very cute. You're right. It changed. Watch
all that.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
It's just like it's all coming at you fast and
loud and quick, trying to sit in. I watched some
of these episodes of Little House and overstimulation.

Speaker 4 (17:53):
It's just over stimulation.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
It's over stimulation and and and I don't know, I
think we've lost something with that. So I episodes a
Little House when there's does we don't see that anymore?
It's so wild. This one did have a good paid
payoff though it started this this episode started off with, Oh,
I don't think I like this episode, and this is
one of my favorites. And by the by the end,

(18:17):
I was like, I love this episode so much, it's
so good.

Speaker 4 (18:25):
Well, it's just it's such a it's such a wonderful
slow paced for television, slow paced, gentle lesson in how
people deal with their own fears and anxieties and being

(18:47):
open to be amazing. This is a wonderful This actor
Ted Garrig, Yes, oh is it not gearing? Sorry?

Speaker 2 (18:58):
Ted, I think. And he's been in everything I show, right,
He's been in like two episodes of every television show
you ever watched in your entire life. He's in Freaking
I'm going he was in that. Oh my god, he
was in that. He was in that. He was on
a soap opera. I was like, what, oh trivia trivia? Okay,
So yes, yeah, he was on Days of Our Lives.

(19:19):
He was on the Waltons, he was Yes, he was
on Bonanza for eight episodes. So yes, they hauled him
in from there. They already knew him, but I was
thrilled to see. He was also on a show called Nichols.
Do you know about the show Nichols this rant. I
think it ran for one season, season and a half.
It starred weirdly James Garner and Margot Kidder. Wondered that

(19:41):
for a second, shout have been a hit. Margo Kidder
and James Garner is western. It was a comedy, a lighthearted,
kind of amusing, sophisticated.

Speaker 4 (19:52):
Have any of you seen support your local sheriff? Oh
my god, I know that. No, Oh my god. Is
he brilliant in that kind of material? He's always wonderful, but.

Speaker 2 (20:05):
A lot of that Margot Kidder. But also recurring semi regulars.
Richard Bull and his wife Bobby are both regularly on
the show. Nichols And I know this because years ago
when Richard.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
Was longer was it studio?

Speaker 2 (20:20):
That was one of the My best thing I ever
did was Love a half hour? Like wasn't that was
so much fun because I got my wife and it
was this kookie show with James Garner and Margot Kidder
like what is happening? And I found kind of it
was like hour?

Speaker 4 (20:36):
Was it a half hour?

Speaker 2 (20:38):
It's like a half hour. I think it was half
an hour, but it ran for like a season. IMDb
is the weirdest show, Nicholas, I found a company themselves,
like the DVDs of the most obscure television shows and
things that nobody watched. And I got the whole set
of DVDs and gave them to Richard Bull. So Nichols again.

Speaker 4 (20:53):
So Ted Garrett. Uh, I'm not going to pronounce his.

Speaker 2 (20:57):
Name right, we probably are saying it wrong. But he
was in everything.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
Just let me just.

Speaker 6 (21:02):
Because I've got it here. Uh Ted, find Ted find Ted.
Oh no, that's not gonna help me anyway.

Speaker 4 (21:13):
His his uh so, he was really his career, his
career was really built around playing these guys that were
sort of hard shelled, protected and but but but clearly good.
There was nothing. There was not a you know, not

(21:34):
a this is not a villain. He's not a villain.
He's just a little self protected and he has a.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
Couple of great lines and some good laughs in this.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah he does.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
He gets one over and this is alsen shirt, great delight.

Speaker 4 (21:48):
It's a yeah, it's it's it's hard to sort of
go through this scene by scene because it's such a
it just moves, it moves so slowly. But as Allison said,
it starts with the building of the bank and they
do spit.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
That's well, wait a minute, it's it's opening, opening, opening
starts right off the bat. We have some mellow tones
of nineteen seventies David Rose music. It's very it's that
French hone like wa wa wa what what it's very seventies.

Speaker 2 (22:18):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (22:19):
We know this is not going to be a horrific
episode right off the bat.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
No one's gonna die.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
No one's gonna die, right right.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
I don't want to say the bank. I gotta do
my bank. Oh, look at all that lot in the stone,
the thing, it's all that that weird TV fighter glassy
paper mache nonsense. You could have kicked the thing.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
So I didn't mean to cut you off, Dean. I
just had to note these seventies mellow, mellow, mellow tones. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Well, and he's funny. He's funny right away because a
banker and at one point the go oh a banker
gives what a blessings? I'm not a blessing, I'm a banker,
and he's like, he'shilarious, kind of in the door and
he's taken that first.

Speaker 4 (23:03):
The first scene, that that Michael, that you know that
Charles and Carl Hansen Have or with with mister Hanson
have is really sets up. They really don't waste any
energy setting us up and having the audience understand who
is coming and what the energy is. I mean, they're
just sort of riffing. Mister Hanson is riffing one joke

(23:26):
after another about what a what a tough nut this
guy is. So when we meet him, there are no surprises.
He does not disappoint. He is he is as advertised.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
Horror, and he is he's yes, are there, Yes, he's yes.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
Well, and not only that, but so they're building, they
find out that if they had twenty one days to
build the bank, if they go over all, then they
have own money. I mean, this is by a second.

Speaker 4 (23:56):
He's forty eight.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Second that I'm I think, but I'm docking you in.
I'm docking you forty.

Speaker 1 (24:07):
But we also quickly learned that Pap wants to buy
forty more acres right right?

Speaker 2 (24:17):
How?

Speaker 4 (24:18):
And therefore, yeah, because growing and you can sell everything
that you grow, and uh yeah, so that's I mean,
that's so that's the setup that and then there's the
second setup. So there is sort of a b story
you get, So Pap needs a load, and Miss Beetle wants.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
Fishing, right, Miss Beetle wants books for kids. But this
is again in one of the moments, it was very realistic.
This was very the real Charles Ingles. The reason the
Ingles never had any money, even though some people even said,
isn't this the same time as the Gilded Age, weren't
people actually in some places having lots of money. In fact,
even in Laura's books, some of her neighbors heat find

(24:56):
and have lots of furniture and heat. But no, Charles
had problem. Charles like wanted to move all the time.
And he his ideas of well, we'll we'll do this,
and we'll do that. Yeah, we'll take it. We can
take it a load, we'll take it a load. It'll
be and it was never fine. And so Charles has
a bit of a gambler. And so again here we go,
and you see Ma's face when he says, oh, it's great,

(25:18):
it will take I'll buy another forty acres. He's like, no,
you can't. Yeah, and he's gonna get another forty acres.
It's great. And what never mind that the every five
minutes on the show, there's a prairie fire for hailstorm er.
They know you're gonna just gamble that what you're gonna
they've barely paid off the debts they have, and he
wants to go borrow money to buy another forty acres

(25:41):
and he's somehow magically gonna farm all by himself. Yeah, no,
he's out of his mind.

Speaker 1 (25:44):
He's And even I was like, Charles, No, no, Charles,
bad idea?

Speaker 4 (25:52):
So and what sort of interest did they also do
a little thing. There's a little tell on Charles in
this where you know he and mister Spray to come
for dinner. I don't need that. I don't need to
come to dinner. And at night, after putting the kids
to bed, he gets he's he and Caroline are bet
some really nice scenes and very nice in the bedroom,
and this one is they're chatting about life and times,

(26:14):
and Caroline really puts it on the line with him.
He says, maybe you were being you were inviting him
and being nice to him because you want to get
this loan. Yep, And he has to sort of sorrowfully
or or embarrassed to admit that, yes, that's probably true.
He was trying to get on mister Sprague's good side,
and mister Spray wasn't having that right, and.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
Ma's all about like, okay, we're real intentions. You know,
God will know. But also I have to stay in
this scene. This scene is one of the bedroom scenes
with Pop. You know, long John's were not intended. Oh
my god, what seriously gorgeous. It's like pink Johns who

(27:00):
looked pink does John's and he looked amazing And He's
like stripping down to these long Johns and I'm going
that shouldn't be attractive. But yeah, and Ma is going
on and on about booked and do you know I
have no idea what that woman said?

Speaker 1 (27:15):
No, supern Not only that you can't keep your eyes
off of Paw and the long Johns, which is odd
but true, but also I don't she it feels like
her voice was super looped in during the scene because
she was talking I think really did not sound like her.

(27:36):
It just sounded so weird. I was like, what is
going on with I know, I couldn't figure out, like,
why would that they did in fact lupe it? If
they didn't loop it, why was she talking that way?
And third of all, I don't know if you guys
notice this but this is what I notice. She puts
her arm, you know, he goes on his side. They're
gonna go to sleep. She puts his arm around here,

(27:58):
and we see Ma's nails, which are beautifully manicured, shiny, shiny, manicured.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, this is an old nail.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
Imperial Emporium is in full effect.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Strikes again. Also, they were getting really well Yeah I
thought I thought so too. Yeah, yeah, because it was
like you know, sometimes they read the Bible or eat
popcorn and they somehow make that sexy. I don't know how,
but they started slowing. Where is the going to make out? Like,
you know, what is happening? Freaking?

Speaker 1 (28:36):
I will say, no one in the history has ever
looked good in Long John's before, ever until this moment.
So bravo, bravo, Michael Lanton.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
It really was.

Speaker 4 (28:47):
I just say so, Pamela, you're nothing if not consistent.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
Well listen, I'm telling it like it in your in your.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
Married and I noted it.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
She was the first one.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
I was there too. I fuck. I worked with the
guy I went and I went really good.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
Heavens.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
Ellison's the great question. I know I televiated, but did
you recognize how beautiful. He was when you were a kid,
she was.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
She was a little kid. Yeah, I mean to me,
I mean it was the whole relationship.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
He was and more of a father figure, I get
to that.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
But I knew that he was cute because I mean
as soon as he came in in the morning with
the fifty to five thousand watts smile and the sunglasses
and I heard, I was like, well then, and I
was like, yeah, it's the seventies, and right away, as
even as a twelve thirteen years I thought it was
terribly funny that he was this wholesome Minnesota dirt farmercy
and he shows up in the nineteen seventies totally shirt

(29:49):
with the gold shades of the bands, and I thought
it was awry at the incongruity of that. And yes,
he was clearly gorgeous. He was absolutely gorgeous.

Speaker 4 (29:57):
And you know, I just say, I mean there's some
you know, there's some people who carry that and it's
like they just are and that's just how it is.
I always felt with Michael that Michael really, and I
say this with all sure good intent here, Michael loved

(30:20):
being a star. He loved being a star and and
that's when you can feel his presence there. It just
there was, it was. We've talked about this before. He
really was amazing and not he was not other than okay,
they both are very handsome men, clearly as Michael and

(30:42):
as Charles. But the when you met when you saw
him working as the one, and then you saw him
being himself, very different energy.

Speaker 2 (30:53):
See this is why I say, Yammys, we was robbed
because all these shows means our show obviously, oh my god,
cinematograph director. But I have said for years and people
think I'm kidding or whatever, that Michael Landon should have
won Best Actor And people say, oh, but he would
go Hello, did you ever meet him? The actual guy?

(31:15):
And he's playing this guy and everyone believed him. That
is Academy Award level work. This dude comes in in
his Ferrari and his gold chains in his house in
malibuon is Dan and he's like, hey, Ben, I'm going
to the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Hollywood ball Who's going

(31:36):
And then sits down and says, I wish we had
another penny for a sleep pencil. And I'm going out
to the bar now to meet the table.

Speaker 4 (31:44):
And I love you.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
I love you so much. Yeah, you're like, who are you?
It was freaking genius peak.

Speaker 4 (31:53):
He was.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
He was the most underrated, which is wild because this
acting is insane.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
Like every episode, I'm like, this guy's a genius. Without knowing,
without so without knowing what that kan real life, I
can look at him and go, oh my god, this
guy is incredible.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
He's incredible, and turn turn on a dime, turn on
a dime. Because he'd be joking around, he'd be directing. Okay,
I like the shot. I like the shot. Hey, okay,
what are you doing for lunch? Oh my god, you know,
stay away from the beans, shit down and and then.

Speaker 4 (32:28):
Sit down and cry.

Speaker 1 (32:29):
Yeah he didn't he did not need it.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
Yeah. No, he was very emotionally available. He could really
like it was a great tennis match watching him with
the play with himself. I mean it's like he could
play tennis with go back and forth across the net
with himself. He was really special. Let let's continue on
with the episode.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
So so okay, okay, wow.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
Yeah, I know, I know. Watching that, Pamela, You're like,
you get a little as was the first one.

Speaker 2 (33:03):
Unusual for you to go shucking chuck John made long
John's look good. Some of Catherine and Richard have one
of their epic moments in this Catherine again, it was
the slower pace because second year, so missus Olsen is
doing more the slow not the goofy while, but the
slow turn of the screw. Well, and and then mister

(33:27):
Olson is you know, and Nell's is doing his thing.
The takes the house. The look they're killing it. They
are killing it. In this episode. She is awful. This
is absolutely great. And what is she going on about?
She's trying to suck up to the banker. What did
she talk about? Wanting to hang around with his behind
hang around?

Speaker 1 (33:46):
And and Nels is like what She's truly awful?

Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah, no, she she is. And that's and you know,
she was doing her she was doing her job. I
mean that's what she was there to provide. That's why
she was hired, is that she could bring that with
such condescension. And uh, she was really remarkable in the

(34:15):
way that she could do that, and she could wade
right into all that. And then of course she goes
so she's you know, she's going to go now. But
as soon as she realizes Caroline is going to the bank,
to meet Charles. Suddenly she becomes like this schoolgirl who
needs to who needs to prepare herself for the big flirt,

(34:37):
Like she's.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
Got a crush on the fucking banker. It's like, what
is going on in this thing?

Speaker 4 (34:42):
Now?

Speaker 2 (34:42):
I'm like looking at every detail because Catherine was so
detailer and she's doing little ticks and things, and that
she goes in with the shawl. It doesn't it doesn't
really go with the outfit, but it's stunning the floor show.
I think that was Catherine Shaw. This was a regular
thing where she and the wardrobe lady with Richelie and
they would talk. There's a pair of earrings that are

(35:05):
hers that she were frequently She said, yeah, I brought
in these ear rings and rachel and they were approved.
Rachelna said, yep, those periods are great. And she would
bring stuff in sometimes and Richelie would go, yeah, that'll work.
Do you want to I mean, we'll have to keep
it here for a while, but if you're good. And
I think that Shaw was a Catherine item that she
brought in because it was just like I noticed, so.

Speaker 4 (35:26):
They go, so they go to the bank and going
to the bank and.

Speaker 2 (35:32):
Yeah, yeah, and the amazing Jack. Lily shows lovely Jack
is that driver man? He does come into the bank.

Speaker 4 (35:45):
It's three o'clock and yes, yes, we're.

Speaker 2 (35:50):
Right right because he later comes in because when he's
not there, he wanted like where is he?

Speaker 4 (35:58):
He's banging on the door. I mean, there's never been
a bank and will on the grove and suddenly there's
a rush at three o'clock to get to the you know,
it's like everyone's coming together or something. It's a it's we've.

Speaker 2 (36:08):
Never had a bank, ever had a bank, and suddenly.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
Everyone needs to go to the bank. Yeah, so missus
Olsen shows up, she grovels to mister Sprague. He blows
her off, burns of all burns. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yes was.

Speaker 2 (36:28):
Moments And this is also thing in this episode. Do
not judge a book by his cover. Missus Olsen making
these wild assumptions. Well, obviously I'm in the city and
it's coming from me.

Speaker 4 (36:42):
Quit school in the third grade. Father was a farmer.
No cities till seventeen, didn't.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
They didn't like cities, didn't like the city.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
I mean it's like I didn't go to squad, dropped
out of still straight right, I never went to the
city and I don't like it, and I don't like that,
thank you very much, and he's like, day, like, move
this along.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
His approach to this was absolutely terfect. Yeah, and also
he was right.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
It was a it was a hit in the mid
it was miluster. He was like, let me go point
by point to everything you said and why you're wrong,
and I don't want to talk to your lady boom.

Speaker 4 (37:25):
You know. It's it's so interesting because this we go
back and forth with all of this, and we really
don't get the major thing here. The turning point moment
in this, and I'm going to jump ahead a little bit,
is when she can win. Laura connects to mister Sprague
and so we fully established in its slow, gentle pacing

(37:47):
that mister Sprague is a tough nut and nobody's going
to deal with him. And here Laura is getting it,
goes fishing and she's got Jack with her. By the way,
I want to talk about Jack. That dog out in
the stickers of a southern California summer. Not a great
combination of dog and an area. I'm sure that the

(38:10):
dog was being brushed constantly to keep to keep him clean. Anyway,
so you have this wonderful moment where Jack takes off
after the after the after the carriage and the barking,
and mister Sprague is trying to get control of his horse,
which is a little you know, a little much. The
thing that surprised me about that was when the horse

(38:30):
goes into the tree. It's like, wait a minute, this
is not a car that you lose control of. The
horse can see the tree. He's not going to run
into the tree you're talking.

Speaker 1 (38:42):
I thought about I mean, I know nothing about horses,
and I was like, okay, no, the horse would not.
I believe that the horse was.

Speaker 4 (38:59):
Yeah, no, that that part of it worked. That part
of it worked, and then Jack is chasing and loving it,
and that one maybe.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
Maybe he went into the tree because he was steering
him wildly and it just the last minute turned and
it Yeah, I think that's how I'm going to I'm
justifying it that way.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:19):
Now, if you have two horses and they start.

Speaker 4 (39:22):
Is just it's just.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
But it's a single horse, so it should live.

Speaker 4 (39:28):
Thing.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
But yeah, it's it's it's very crazy. Now they go
fishing and dough balls are the bait of choice. Now,
has anyone here fished like at all, very little, so.

Speaker 4 (39:38):
I can't say I'm a fisherman.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Are you fish? Are you fisher? Dough Balls are in
fact the bait of choice. They are intermazing. And I
checked with Bob because Bob and his dad when back
in the day, I said, goes, absolutely, father took me fishing.
I said, dough balls. He goes, oh, doughballs. Oh no,
that's all you want to use is doughballs. I said,
Now she's rolling up bread, goes. I think my dad
used like actual dough pretty big, and he said he

(40:04):
made them, and Bob said, I did not make them.
I was too little, so I don't know how my
dad made them exactly. But my father and mother made them.
And my father brought dough balls, and absolutely, you will
catch fish. He said, you're gonna get carp and stuff
like that. And I said, well, she's yees, yeah, she's
getting catfish and the things. That's the kind of thing
you would get.

Speaker 4 (40:23):
Now.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
I looked it up and apparently dough balls hugely, hugely popular.
They would put things like vanilla and garlic in them.
You can flavor them, and that really really catches fish.
So absolutely totally think also Laura says.

Speaker 4 (40:37):
Fishing brain Well, that's before she goes. Before she goes fishing,
she's announced because she's not doing the homework, the extra homework,
so she's gonna get smart. Mary's getting smarted by doing
the extra problems. Laura's getting smarted by going to the
fishing hall and catching fish to brain food.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
She's trying to get her chorice done ahead. She can't
sweep the floor to save her life. You know, she
does the dog doing and TV children, you can't seek
the floor. And now here's one of those eighteen seventies
nineteen seventies collide moments. I love when that happens. So
fish brain food, yes, absolutely is. We now know that
Dha the thing and the lower the royal prognative wine

(41:16):
and the fish. Yeah, we know all that now. But
in eighteen hundreds they had discovered that fish was high
in phosphorus, and scient just said phosphorus affects the brain.
Without phosphorus, there is no knife, et cetera. And Mark
Twain made jokes about fish being brain food. Seriously, he
told some authors uh that they would need to eat

(41:39):
a couple of mid sized wows if they were They
need to be you need a couple of midpath Wales boys.
So Fisch's brain food was one hundred percent a thing
that was talked about at the time. Laura would have
said this, So they're not making it up. But they
only knew about the phosphors eate didn't know about the fish,
the dha or how really good. But guess when that

(42:03):
was discovered in the early seventies. So there were articles
in magazines and newspapers in nineteen seventy four, nineteen seventy
five that are audience at home, what did you reading
about the new discoveries of fish being brain food? So
that was not the fact.

Speaker 4 (42:18):
Pulling ripping from the headlines, I'm going.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
To get very smart because I mean at the point,
like there was a point where I was fish like
the famcusing all night. You know that's where my brain
goes to.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Well, dough balls are cheap, so fish is practice free food.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
That's right, Yes, Okay, So I doesn't want anything to do.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
I have expert bait.

Speaker 1 (42:46):
And I'm an expert, and go away and he doesn't
get any fish.

Speaker 4 (42:50):
She gets all the fish, and she's just catching like
the fisher jumping onto her hook based.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
Because she has dough balls, and she's right, and he's
got a lure. He's got a lure from the city.

Speaker 5 (43:02):
And she's like, yeah, fish don't read books, and she
leaves and then really, so there's some other things.

Speaker 4 (43:12):
That we've missed. I mean, mister Sprague, after the dog
chases his wack cart into the his carriage into the trees,
he wants to report it to local report Jackie the
sheriff Laura has the pter is no sheriff in walm Grove.
I mean, so he's getting he's learning the pace of
Walnut Grove a little bit. And that's that. That leads
to the trip to the fishing hole and they're they're

(43:34):
going to go fishing. Now. After that fishing, they we go.
We're back in school. Now there's a board meeting going
on and missus Olsen is telling everybody that education of
children is personal responsibility, and Miss Beatle disagrees. It's a
community thing where it's for the country, where some some

(43:55):
good broad values being shared here in this moment, and
public education values not.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
I know who's who class seen her again?

Speaker 2 (44:06):
Everyone is with miss Beel, every right, this is everyone
is with me, Miss Beetle. Of course, we need books
for the children. Why wouldn't we need books for the children?
What are you crazy? Parents could buy? And this woman
who we've ever seen those? Yes, yes, you are right.

Speaker 4 (44:23):
Right. So then Caroline decides we should collect for the
books and how much will we need? And Miss Beetle
talks about the general the book for the McGuffey reader
and the general Studies book. What they need is going
to be twenty seven dollars and fifty cents for all
these books. I always often wonder how they arrived at

(44:45):
these numbers for these things, you know, I just don't know. No,
I did go through and pull some things, realizing that
these books had different pricing on them. I mean, if
you were buying the primer booth, the Primer McGuffey, it
would have sold for ten to twelve cents, as opposed
to the sixth grade Reader, which would have sold for

(45:07):
eighty cents to a dollar. I don't know why, yeppers,
because the book's sort of al Some of the books
different sizes.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
No, they weren't. They were different. The primer's really tiny,
the first one, the primer, yes, absolutely teeny and then
they get then they get about should be about the
same price until like the sixth grade one which has
more McGuffey readers are great. They're still used today.

Speaker 4 (45:28):
We see them, we see them in Laura sites everywhere.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
Yeah, and you can stick at them online. And I
actually bought some for the school there in uh where
the heck were we near Bepen. I actually went and
bought them a great because they were out of mcuffey's.

Speaker 4 (45:42):
So now they they haven't changed, I mean, or has it.
It doesn't change. They have not changed.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
I think there every now and then they've changed. Maybe
they'll sneak sneak in a different poem or story, but
most of the stuff of the content is identical and
the cover hasn't changed, making it convenient for an apartment
at the time to just go purchased.

Speaker 1 (46:02):
I have written in my notes. I haven't written in
my notes. Reading is the reason why I don't go
to PTA meetings.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
This is like the cut.

Speaker 4 (46:13):
Okay, this is like, oh no.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
I am not like you will not catch me day
PTO meeting. No, nope, nope, don't want it. Don't thank you,
thank you for your service. I really appreciate you. I
will you will not be seeing me. I do not
need to deal with you people at all. We need books,
the kids need books. How about we all agree on that,

(46:38):
shall we.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
Now, missus Olsen? And when she realized at first, no,
but then we could get the banker to donate. Chance
to suck up to banker. That's right, and she goes
again nuts, she turns again.

Speaker 4 (46:51):
She had no.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
No, we are not contributing to books. The parent should
pay for them. I am not getting into this. I'm
not raising money. I'm not donating money. Oh, I get
to talk to the banker. I gotta go now and
talk to the banker about books.

Speaker 4 (47:02):
But instead of going herself, she's going to get Caroline
to do that, because she cannot lower herself to ask
a man of such means, her equal, her social equal,
to contribute to such a thing, because that just would
be done. But the poor, the peasant, missus Olsen, rather

(47:22):
missus Ingalls, can go to the banker and beg for
the money for the book.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
This did lead to I did write down. Catherine had
a moment here, there's a great Catherine moment. She's ranting
at Carolina and then I have to do it, and
you should do that, and then she just runs off
and disappears. I swear to God that was an ad lip.
I swear to God that.

Speaker 4 (47:45):
So you think she was just looking for a way
out of the scene, Well.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
I think they were prob they probably as it was
written with like well she says as she says this,
and maybe they cush or then she leaves and she went, no,
I should ditch this poor woman. I should dismiss her.
And what insane thing because out of it's kind of
out of nowhere and runs away to.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
Look Victor was directing so and Victor was very open
to that kind of thing. Happened right, and it worked,
It worked really well. He would have encouraged that kind
of energy to come out.

Speaker 2 (48:29):
I died.

Speaker 1 (48:31):
We should take a break and then we will.

Speaker 4 (48:34):
I think we should because we've almost gone an hour here.
I know, I know. It's amazing for a slow paced episode.
We've talked a lot to talk.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
Of a woman coming the while of a.

Speaker 4 (48:50):
Woman come back. That's a good place.

Speaker 2 (48:54):
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(49:16):
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(49:38):
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Speaker 1 (49:43):
All right, hi, guys are back. Okay, so we are
still establishing. Laura and mister Sprague are continuing to go fishing.
He's now using the dough balls. They're establishing a relationship.
Nice relationship between the two of them. They're they're having
great conversation.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Strange, that's right.

Speaker 1 (49:59):
She doesn't know how his name, He does not know
her name. He does not know that this is the bank,
the nasty, nasty banker, the evil blank banker. Man. Now
Ma does go to the bank, She too, is to know.
It's Trascar donation for the books. What happens to you guys?
He wants to say it.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
He's so I grew up without books and he didn't
want And then he's like, you're not here. This is
the just you story. Try you watch the loan. You're
here about your heart.

Speaker 4 (50:36):
He said, Alison. He says, the only thing I'm responsible
for doing is running an honest bank and making a
reasonable profit. That's his sole responsibility in the world. And
he does is to run an honest bank.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
And and he he is one of those guys. It's
like I never got books from anyone, no one ever
helped me, and I did it all on my own.
So too bad. Like I'm not donating crap to these people.

Speaker 4 (51:02):
He is part of that pull yourself up by your
bed straps conversation, which is a very you know, that's
a very real conversation, and that that is still a
very real conversation in our country.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
But it's also part of why I think he is
a little wounded and lonely. That's part of the loneliness
and the wounding that Lord gets later. He didn't, Yes,
he didn't. He had to leave home at thirteen. He
would have would have liked to have grown up with books,
but he didn't. He's not really happy about that. So
he's still kind of people about the fact that he
had to leave home at thirteen. They didn't have any money,

(51:38):
and right, so yeah, he's playing it awful. Well you
could do it too.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
Yeah, he's like, no, it's right exactly so, but.

Speaker 4 (51:46):
Let's get to the wiles of a woman thing, because
that's really this is a really turning place.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
A moment in the episode, he goes a little too
far because he's accusing her of using it. Well her line, yeah, Caroline,
of using the world, and he said, I'm not tippip,
I live this long to heard her if I get to,
you know, fall for the wiles of a woman, And wow,
that is not a thing that Caroline does. That is

(52:12):
it's almost in those days, suggesting possibly a sexual component seduction,
that she'd be using her looks. It's kind of pushing
the envelope insult wise in the case.

Speaker 4 (52:24):
And yet it said in such a anachronistic way that
it makes it you know, it's sort of uh, it's
amusing to call her using that phrase.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
She says any now, and it's also Charles, he said,
what now?

Speaker 2 (52:50):
And sure enough, when they get home and she says
something about the wiles of a woman and Charles, he
said what and of course I love it? Like what
are else of a love? And he goes something your
mother doesn't? Yes, never, And he's like he's right away
reading the possible seduction component and going, oh he did

(53:13):
he did not? Oh no, no, no he's not.

Speaker 4 (53:17):
And then and then Laura, Laura says, Laura says to them,
maybe I should introduce mister Sprague to my friend. Maybe
some of his niceness will rub off on the nicest
will rub off from her friend onto this mister Sprague.

Speaker 2 (53:40):
Because she has she's still thinking that complete and her
parents haven't really asked a lot of questions again about.

Speaker 1 (53:47):
This time, right, okay, can we just pause for a second.
No one's in the leam, No one's the leaseman.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Concern And yet real life they would have been. In
real life, Ma would have had a conniption. But in
this show, a fan, Oh great, so the middle aged
guy you fish with and you don't know his name? Yes,
it takes more.

Speaker 1 (54:10):
I mean, I guess the big I listen and I understand.
Like the Land of Little House, the television show is
just worthy. Everyone has good intentions, like nothing's wrong until
someone shows that something's very wrong, right, but it's it's
come on, come on, you guys aren't bothered that your daughter,

(54:32):
your ten year old or love. Maybe I don't know,
nine year old is hanging out with some middle eighted
think she's a kid. Maybe they think he's a kid.
Maybe she didn't say, maybe she didn't mention he's a
middle aged.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
Yeah, in real life, Ma would have said, you're not.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
Yes, here's okay. Here's the thing also about let me
just say this is here's a writing thing. Pam can
relate to this, So the story is written completely open.
The audience knows who mister Sprague is, so it's they
don't have to have this conversation. The audience knows that
this is not someone who's going to be doing harm

(55:11):
to Laura. He's he's a little up tight, but he's
not dangerous.

Speaker 2 (55:17):
So we're mentally basically the audience were jumping ahead to
it's just super weird.

Speaker 4 (55:25):
Of course, but yeah, I mean if it were, if
we never saw the guy, then it would be very
important to ask the question.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Right, And it's true, and a buggy is essentially his car,
and we do.

Speaker 1 (55:38):
Well, I know when she was in his buggy too,
I was like even though I know nothing, savvy, fine,
and we know it's everything's gonna be.

Speaker 2 (55:46):
Fine just as not.

Speaker 4 (55:48):
And there's no back seat, so what, But he's got
both his hands on the lines, parent driving that horse
with both hands.

Speaker 1 (55:59):
Nerve.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
I still haven't recovered. I haven't recovered from when Mary
the good One jumped in a car.

Speaker 1 (56:08):
With Johnny clearly sketchy and not.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
And it's like she can't go with him. He's obvious.

Speaker 4 (56:19):
All right, let's get to let's let's get to this
moment with the turning point.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
Wait, but first, I just want to get something. I
just want to do really quick. First, I think the
conversation that Laura and he have at the pond that
next day, where she's telling him all about this horrible
banker that won't give any money and he must be
the richest guy, and what's wrong with this guy? And
he's awful, and first of all, so he does not
reveal that it's him, but then he also you know,

(56:46):
it's like that economics like thing. You know, if you
but if you give people things that they don't work hard,
but then if you give people things, they won't work
hard for themselves. And it's that whole mindset that people.
It's all right that people still have today. I mean
that that theory has not gone away. But it was
really sort of like oh boy, oh wow, okay, wow, Yeah,

(57:12):
he has.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
To defend himself. He doesn't say, well, I'm the banker.
He goes, well, maybe the banker.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Give hands out and that means people will be laid
woof woof, right right, And she.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
Argues with him about it and she starts debating him,
and again this is where the trial she does Laura
knows and she starts, we should feel sorry for him,
and he's like wait, what what what are you talk
And then she starts quoting Emerson and he goes, you
just quote Emerson to the little kid. We thinks he's

(57:47):
an idiot. And she's like, yeah, you're you're too young,
you're too young, and she goes, oh my, Paul reads
to us, and he's like, her dad reads Emerson and
he still is including that it's Charles, but he's going,
I'm liking her dad. She's talking about hard working values
and god, our dad reads Emerson and well they were
any starts and then he's like, well, no, I don't
have any family but love When she's saying, you don't

(58:10):
have a wife. No, no, She goes, well, there's lots
of old ladies.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
And I know, very sweet, laugh, too.

Speaker 2 (58:18):
Adorable. But she's working him. She doesn't realize she's working him,
and he's like, who is this kid? But yeah, it
starts to work. It's like Chinese water torture.

Speaker 1 (58:29):
Yeah, okay, then the tourney, did you.

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Fellow?

Speaker 4 (58:35):
Yeah? No, I was Benny. No, Benny pulled, pushed the
door open. There's a tractor across the street. I tried
to close the door. Tip the microphone over disaster.

Speaker 1 (58:45):
Yeah, it's okay. Well, Kitty was here, but we we
had a talk because everyone's home today because of the
snow day.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
M hmm.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
We're in the middle of the show.

Speaker 2 (59:05):
Life is intruding as yours.

Speaker 4 (59:08):
It's we're right in the middle. Sorry, everybody counting questions.
They were right in the middle of the show, right right.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
You know this is Bob walked into the cooking show
the other day. We just went hey, and now Bob
is here, and Kathy said.

Speaker 1 (59:25):
Oh, this is going to be an eight hour show
at least.

Speaker 2 (59:32):
I mean, I do have I guess I need to.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
Get to it and let's get to the turning point.

Speaker 4 (59:39):
Now, all right, so we get to that. We need
to we need to get to the turning your moment here, Nelly.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
Yes, Nelly's in charge of the turning point in the moment.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
The words but Nellie to the rest go on and
I actually Nelly to the rescue. Not only am I
shockingly for the idea that everyone should have books? When
did Nelly's rebelled against her mother apparel and thinks it's great,
we should all have books. But Nelly now shows up
and goes, Hi, I am here to deliver a key,

(01:00:13):
massively life changing plot point and just blow everything out
of the water. Hi, Oh how you doing? Oh yes,
we should totally chip in for books. And then I'm like, oh, yeah,
you know, did the banker, Yeah, the banker, that's the banker.
That's the banker. Yeah, yo, did the banker the wind
go yo? Oh you didn't know? You didn't know that
the guy that ha and I basically show up and

(01:00:35):
nationally knows that it's him, which no one had some
you have opened, I have bold bled doors.

Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
And to the scene, the really important scene that turns
the whole episode turns on.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
I wanted a friend. I wanted a friend.

Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
I wanted a best friend who wanted.

Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
To go fishing. Oh gosh, it was just so small,
Oh so sad.

Speaker 4 (01:01:05):
No, exactly. This is this is where Melissa where her
quality as a little girl was so extraordinary. I always think,
you know, when you look at at Melissa's work, that
at that you know, at that time in her life,
you could put any any juvenile actress from any time

(01:01:28):
in the industry up against what Melissa did in these
episodes and say there's nobody who's going to outshine her.
I mean, she's really really extraordinary in these and she
does this. This is a wonderful scene that she has
with him, and he's like having his life. He's being

(01:01:49):
cut open here and.

Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
Wow, he starts to feel like that heel bit he
is and you see him going, oh, I'm a terrible person.
It's like it starts to sink in. It's just like
and then oh, and then will and then she.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
Gets back another killer.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
That's the boohoom moment when Paul gives it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
She's crying in bed.

Speaker 2 (01:02:13):
If you never I can't even say it. If you
never loved someone, you never.

Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
Yeah, he's without love. There just isn't any reason for
living and loves to kill me. Now, I mean, if
this scene isn't the epitome of what Little House on
the Prairie is about. This scene and then there's a
couple of them, says Pas says this rag later that
you know, like I feel sorry for you. You you
think more important. I mean, it's just like this episode
turns into that's all about.

Speaker 4 (01:02:43):
Totally. This scene at the top of act four. Is
this this Pa Laura scene. This are these are the
scenes that were the minor scenes in the series. These
this is really, this is really where it lives right here.

Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
This is the goodness go through life being afraid to love. Yes,
people believe, people die, bad things happen, But then what
you have to love, even if someone might hurt you,
even you're better to have love than lost. It's like
you still have to be able to love. You can't
just not love and not have friends and not ever
trust anyone because someone hurt you.

Speaker 4 (01:03:20):
And then then the next morning, Pod delivers the message,
mister Sprague, you broke my girl's heart. Lord gave you
a friendship and you threw it back in her face.
And he says, I don't need friends, and you don't
have any it's the response and boom boom boom. And
that night and I'm sorry, I'm sort of pushing this along.

(01:03:40):
That night we see him or that afternoon. He is alone.

Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
Now it's interesting once.

Speaker 4 (01:03:45):
And devastated in his and in his night in his
night shirt and he's rubbing his head and he realizes,
oh my god.

Speaker 1 (01:03:58):
I just have to do a shout out to after
the Laura bed scene, and he puts her to bed
and cheap, and we think, okay, pause, being very nice
about all this. And he comes down and he's about
to go to bed, and then he's like, I'm gonna
talk with mister Sprague tomorrow. D' didn't And I'm like, yeah,
I get him. Yeah, but also yes, so so yeah,

(01:04:24):
we know who is seven who at this point went
for mister Spray, which is the point we're supposed to
feel bad for this guy because he has ruined his
own life.

Speaker 4 (01:04:33):
So and then well we go.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
To school and what happens. First of all, I just
want to say lovely mom again. Everyone's talking about homework.
I did all my probably know you're awful, Probably say chess.
And then she's like, oh, well, perhaps you could help
the other Mama says, I mustn't I love that. Mama says,
I mustn't who talks like this? Only no, And I
don't even talk like that for the rest of the show.
But in surely episodes, I mustn't I really like that one.

Speaker 4 (01:05:01):
I so enjoyed that minute.

Speaker 1 (01:05:03):
A knock at the door.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
But then there's a knock at the door. The last
thing we saw was mister Sprague re evaluating his entire
existence in his Ebenezer screwge like, oh, the ghost the
ghosts of Christmas have come Marley's ghost does Laura and
Paul have been the ghosts of Christmas bast and future
and have just slain heim.

Speaker 4 (01:05:24):
You are so right, I mean that that is really nice.
What's happening here?

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
You have no friends? They busted in what is a
man with em and he boom, knock, knock at the door.
The crate arrives and they rip it open and it's
a it's a billion McGuffey, it's so much money.

Speaker 1 (01:05:45):
That's where I was like, and yeah, and Laura immediately knows.

Speaker 2 (01:05:53):
This is Emerson and she knows.

Speaker 4 (01:05:56):
Then there's the look of the look of clarity in
Laura's eyes. And she goes and off she goes, and
then they have this wonderful moment at the pond. Back
at the pond.

Speaker 1 (01:06:06):
Now, listen, let's talk about this wonderful moment back at
the pond for a second. You can quip my one
quip here we go to the director boom in on
Laura's smile because, oh god, her gums and her teeth
were something special. As a child, her orthodontic stepped in

(01:06:28):
her teeth and listen, I've had braces three times in
my life. I had a head gears. I still have
to wear a retainer at night. Oh, I had the
head gear like the head like the so I am
talking from experiences, is very very special. I don't want
to zoom in on it.

Speaker 5 (01:06:47):
We don't.

Speaker 2 (01:06:47):
They did a full zoom, but it makes it's real.
It makes it real because that's real. It's the eighteen
hundred's baby, and this.

Speaker 4 (01:06:56):
Is what you kid and Melissa Gilbert, the I teeth.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Right here, I teeth. They couldn't come down because I
had like too many teeth or some weird thing my
teeth and they were up here and gave the appearance
of vampire fangs. And I had to have teeth ripped
out and everything to jump back, I have to still
have the mold. They do do the mouldiporn after I
have the mold of my teeth before the first retainer

(01:07:22):
ORTHODONICX of what this all actually looked like before they
fixed it. I have this mold sitting on a shelf
in my home and people come over and when they
see it, they asked two questions. One is this a
prop from a horror film? And two is this your dog?

(01:07:47):
That is how bad.

Speaker 1 (01:07:50):
The teeth are bad. There's a part of it that's endearing.
But again, the zoom in was fast, and it was
all very very close. But it was a very fast
zoom in that was a little jarring. Sorry MG, but
it's true. Regardless, it still ends on a very very happy,
happy tone. He finally does come over for you. Yeah,

(01:08:12):
he's enjoying the family baby carry moment, being adorable and precious.

Speaker 2 (01:08:17):
That's baby carry baby carry moment. Oh my god, baby care.

Speaker 4 (01:08:22):
Yeah, so I'd love it. Laura has one of her
her voiceover moments, Pa, God has floaned. He bought forty
acres moss fish are the very best?

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
Got that loan? Well, all right, he's got another forty
acres as well, and badly there will be a hailstorm thing.

Speaker 4 (01:08:41):
I was like, ah, really, mister Sprague has had a
you know, mister Sprague has had a change of heart
and he's had his Ebenezer Scrooge.

Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
Moment and he is yes, now with the Cratchets and
and and baby carry and pay at the table, it's Screwge.
And now when Bob cratches out him to dinner and
baby carry, God Blessles.

Speaker 1 (01:09:11):
Every right, you're so right. But I will say this
is an episode where you feel the warmth and the
love of the Ingles household over and over again. Almost
every home seat table, they're doing their homework, they're making
the dough balls, like every scene just has that wonderful

(01:09:33):
warmth of that little little house with all the love
in it. And I think this is this episode is
really like the epitome of what Little House is about, right.
It sums up the heart of the intent.

Speaker 4 (01:09:51):
It is one of those defining episodes. And it's interesting
because it's not an episode I think that people.

Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Know, and it's not one that I really revi but
it really does.

Speaker 4 (01:10:02):
Have something really special thematically going for it, really serious.

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
It is an overlooked episode. Have you ever had a
fan come, I'm going to it right.

Speaker 4 (01:10:09):
No, I don't really hear that. But it's really the
episode really lands big.

Speaker 1 (01:10:16):
Time that the payoff is so worth it. It really
sneaks up on you. It sneaks up on you. This episode.

Speaker 4 (01:10:23):
It well, it takes it. Really, it takes basically three
full acts to really get there. I mean it's like,
there's this massive setup and then Laura's heart is broken.
And now in that in that very pre fast moving
fourth act, which is about ten minutes, everything really happens

(01:10:45):
in that. In that fourth act that turns, that turns
the story and teaches the lesson, and which I guess
is what you sort of expect. I mean, that's what
it should be. But it's a long wind up to
get to that fourth act.

Speaker 2 (01:10:58):
I now want to go back and watch a Christmas Carol,
one of the old versions of Christmas Carol, like the
fifties or thirties one, and then watch this.

Speaker 4 (01:11:07):
Yeah, Hindy Brooks, borrowing from some good material she did, she.

Speaker 2 (01:11:13):
Go, Okay, Christmas Carolsezer he's named Abenezer.

Speaker 1 (01:11:17):
We got, tiny tim we got, which makes me wonder
whether it was episode three nine appearance? Right, me wonder
whether it really was.

Speaker 4 (01:11:28):
It premiered and it premiered in November. I don't think
it could have been episode It could have been episode nine. Actually,
it wouldn't have been episode three if it premiered in November. Well,
it could have been four or five.

Speaker 2 (01:11:40):
Well, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:11:42):
September.

Speaker 4 (01:11:43):
No, it could have been episode nine because it right
exactly September October, mid November could have been episode nine. Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
I was just wondering. Yeah, almost listened to chriisode, but
I guess if it was because yeah, run Thanksgiving time,
it's sort of yeah, it's holidays.

Speaker 4 (01:12:03):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah, Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
I think we just encovered something.

Speaker 4 (01:12:10):
We meandered all through this episode, the episode itself. In
the last five minutes, we've really sort of brought this together.

Speaker 1 (01:12:18):
It's the Long Johns. Just always blame it on the log.
All right, we'll wrap it up then, Okay, join us
next week we see more Long Johns. But in the meantime,
visit us on our socials, Little House fifty Podcast, our website,
Little House fifty podcast dot com. Like and subscribe. Everyone subscribe,

(01:12:38):
because if you like and subscribe, then that'll bring it
more into the algorithm, and the other people will find us,
and then more people will like and subscribe, and it's
recationship we will all have together. Bob, get the wig.
Let's fly with the ghosts of bankers past, banker's future.

Speaker 4 (01:12:57):
Don't run into too late mhm.