For a few months, I spent time outlining my five favorite episodes from each season. Now, let's narrow that list down to one favorite episode per season and share more reasons why each episode is a favorite.
Season 1 - "School Mom"
Caroline Ingalls steps in to teach school when Miss Beadle is injured. She takes extra time to help an older boy, Abel, learn how to read. But when Mrs. Oleson interferes, all her work is ruined.
Why it's my favorite from Season 1: To make a choice in Season 1 was challenging, because there were so many great episodes that season. However, one of the funniest early scenes happens in this episode.
About 31 minutes into it, the school board arrives at the Ingalls place. Caroline had quit after Mrs. Oleson interrupted her class to complain about how she had changed her teaching methods to help Abel learn how to read. Mr. Hanson and Doc Baker, with the Olesons in tow, ask her to return. Instead of answering, she asks what Mr. Hanson would do if someone came into his mill while he was grinding wheat into flour and someone came in and tossed a rock between the millstones, ruining all his work.
Mr. Hanson replies, "I would take that person by the back of the collar and the seat of the pants, and I would throw him right into the middle of the street."
"That idea did occur to me," says Caroline, "but unhappily, I am a lady. And this person was also a lady."
It was also nice to see her reason with Abel and encourage him to return to school, which he does.
Season 2 - "For My Lady"
Charles's work for the Widow Thurman gets Harriet's tongue wagging, which causes tension between Charles and Caroline. Because of some white lies Charles tells to hide a secret he is planning, Caroline worries the rumors might have some truth.
Why it's my favorite from Season 2: In addition to Charles secretly working for Mrs. Thurman to pay for her old china as a gift for Caroline, there are back-to-back scenes that make this a winner.
The first is 14:30 into the episode. Earlier in the episode, Charles had asked the banker, Mr. Sprague, for a small personal loan. Sprague denies him for two reasons: 1) he hadn't yet paid off his current note (though Charles tells him at least twice he plans to do it the next day, and 2) he tells him if it isn't essential, Charles shouldn't borrow the money. At 14:30, we see Sprague counting out money and stamping Charles's note paid. Within seconds, he says he would loan Charles the $8 he had previously asked for, to which Charles basically says thanks, but I'm all set.
The next scene starts at 15:16 with Mary, Laura, and Willie walking out of the schoolhouse. Laura and Willie are arguing about whether the moon affects how the fish bite. They bicker like siblings, with Laura saying everyone knows fish bite better with a full moon, and Willie saying the fish can't see the moon, so could they know if they were hungry or not? Mary tries to convince her to let it go, but Laura digs in her heels. Ultimately, since Laura can't prove she is right, she loses her best "agey" marble to Willie, but she jokes with Mary that she will just win it back from him anyway. Knowing that Melissa and Jonathan Gilbert are real-life adopted siblings makes this scene even more hilarious.
Season 3 - "Little Girl Lost"
When Carrie falls down an old mine shaft, the town works together to save her. Mr. Hanson allows a past hurt to cloud his judgment, which impedes rescue efforts.
Why it's my favorite from Season 3: This was another season when the choice was tough. I ultimately chose this one because, despite how hard it is to watch, it is wonderful to see the town come together to help in a time of need. The minute Charles arrives in town and tells Nels what has happened, he instructs Charles to take whatever he needs from the storeroom and sends Willie out to ring the alarm bell. The men work into the night, and just when it seems all is lost, Carl and Loudy save the day. Listening to Charles shout for Caroline and watching Caroline's eyes light up once she sees a dirt-covered Carrie and runs to her releases all the pent-up tension viewers experience, and the thrilled shouts, cheers, and hugs from the townsfolk as they surround Caroline and her child make this a must-watch episode.
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