Summary: The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the nineteenth century American Midwest.
Title: Little House on The Prairie
Rating: 12
Runtime: 1 Hour
Cast: Melissa Gilbert, Melissa Sue Anderson, Lindsay Sidney Greenbush, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Katharine McGregor, Dabbs Greer, Richard Bull, Bonnie Bartlett, Victor French, Kevin Hagen, Jonathan Gilbert and Alison Arngrim.
Directors: Michael Landon, William F. Claxton, Victor French, Leo Penn, Alf Kjellin, Lewis Allen and Victor Lobl
Review:
I’m a huge Little House on the Prairie fan and I’ve watched it so many times in the past but I’m finding this time rewatching it I’m seeing things different so I figured I’d write my reviews of it, I know it’s an old show so I’m probably gonna go into more details with spoilers.
I love the simplicity of this show, of the town, of the way they live and are raised its gorgeous and I always love things set in this style or era. It’s like a dream almost in how they live, just basic living, fresh air, open land, a tiny school and church, a community where you know and help everyone it’s blissful.
There are definitely parts of the show that are dated due to how long ago it was filmed but for the most part it holds up pretty well I guess the theme helps with that.
So let’s dive into the opinions more and things I never noticed previously.
Mary Ingalls this girl I always saw as a total perfect child and angel oh my gosh is she not, why is Laura seen as the troublesome one? Please someone tell me, in just two season Mary causes so much trouble. I’ll list the things I noticed she broke Laura’s doll, she burnt down the barn and her teachers book, she lead a boy on that she wasn’t interested in at all, she hid her glasses (that were expensive) in a tree bark and told her parents she lost them. She went behind her Ma’s back and studied and prepped for an exam she wasn’t allowed to take yet stays there for it anyway. She brought home a wild raccoon for Laura to have as a pet that caused so much drama and could have killed Laura and Jack the dog. She was ungrateful when the town sent her on a trip to enter a math contest and she came second and had the wrong attitude fir having done so well, she started dating a boy behind her families back. She let Willie and Mrs. Oleson get poison Ivy and be sick from it, instead of telling them what the lead actually was. She stayed up late with the lights on studying and she used Sunday School church funds to by medicines and tried to sell them to get more money. That is just in two seasons. Honestly I think this is the thing that shocked me the most over everything within the show, I never realised just how naughty and mean Mary was, she always seemed like the perfect wonderful daughter/sister and now she’s not. It’s so strange to me honestly as they make it out as though Laura is the bad seed but she’s really not she’s so sweet in comparison.
Laura Ingalls the strongest child in the family she does everything she can to help out her family and seems to only get in trouble when it comes to the troublesome Oleson kids. She’s so friendly to everyone and such a day dreamer always finding a new older boy in school to adore. She’s such a oddball kid and very different to most girls in her school. I always thought she did more though, got into more trouble than she actually seems too. She has wild ideas sometimes that Mary goes along with or that Laura just carries out crazily. Though she always has a kind reason behind her wild ideas, she always wants what is best. She helps strangers and other kids in the small town that others ignore or treat badly. Like Olga who couldn’t walk or run properly she got her Pa to help her, the old man in the old house she befriended him and helped him greive instead of being grouchy and alone. At this age of Laura I honestly just remembered her bring trouble and not having the kindness that she does have. Though there are times she isn’t, like her wild idea after her brother dies to run off to the hills and no one can find her for days and a random man looks after her all because she didn’t pray for her brother as she was selfish. She’s shown as Avery emotional child, that does her best but ends up doing things wrong as she creates a unique way to do things.
Pa had too many episodes centred around him, in two seasons there have been more episodes on him than on Laura and the show is about Laura. He’s had to go and do so many dangerous different jobs, decides so many things without asking anyone else, is incredibly rude and bossy to his family yet they love him? Laura literally idolises her Pa but I always no matter how many times I watch fail to understand why? What are his redeeming qualities? He isn’t generally nice to them, he doesn’t comfort them when they are sad or confused, he shouts at them alot, forces them to go without things or to let them help him which they do regardless. Maybe it’s the era, maybe it’s the actor, maybe I just don’t like him but yeah I’m not a Charles Ingalls fan really he isn’t that great of a father. There are times he isn’t bad but mostly I’m not a fan.
The Olesons are such a strange family, Nels and Harriet don’t even seem to love each other, Nellie and Willie are devils because of their mother and then act up when Nels shouts or disciplines them. I don’t get why they are together or why they raised the kids the way they did, I don’t know quite how Harriett got so mean and bossy and unfeeling. So very strange but they add drama and entertainment I suppose. They are great antagonists to the rest of the town and family, everything has to suit Harriet and her children.
I love this show I always have done and I always will do, even with its faults I still end up loving it. The show is a great escape, beautiful landscaping and even though characters annoy me or aren’t nice it doesn’t stop me living it or from continuing to watch it.
Season 1 was miles better than season 2, season 2 had very few episodes that actually focused on Laura herself whereas season 1 had plenty. The second season seemed to branch out more to focus on so many other people in the town which is fine but isn’t what I always want to see. They play a part and the Ingalls are always involved in everything but still I like when they focus just on the Ingalls and we get lots of Laura.
This show is such an easy watch, though sometimes things are distressing or scary, they are still always fun. I have been loving my escape back to the prairie and seeing this different era of life. Look out in future for other seasons reviews.
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