Thoughts on Bless All the Dear Children

I've long said the final Christmas episode, "Bless All the Dear Children," is my least favorite Little House Christmas show. Recently, I watched this episode again. While my overall opinion hasn't changed, there are some good moments to celebrate or at least mention. Let's start with my nitpicks and then end with the positives.

Nitpicks

• Pa's narration opens the episode by stating this story takes place in the winter of 1896. Rose Wilder was born in 1886. She would have been 10.
• Pa also says that while they were used to cold winters, the winter of 1896 brought with it warm temperatures (hence people walking around with no coats and their sleeves rolled up in December in Minnesota). That year, the Midwest had experienced a long Indian summer, but by Thanksgiving temperatures were well below average with some areas reporting record breaking cold (-50).  
• Mr. Edwards gets into a bar fight, which is why Almanzo leaves Rose and she is abducted. Didn't he pretty much stop drinking after the whole incident with Albert? 
• Somehow Samuel hid in the back of their wagon undetected even though they had to ride half a day to get to their first stop?
• Mr. Edwards doesn't apologize. Not when Almanzo feels guilty and breaks down or when Laura is upset they will never find Rose. 
• The star in the sky leading them to Samuel after he runs away is just too corny for even me.
• The Carters living in the little house on Plum Creek will never sit right with me. 

Enjoyable Moments

• Seeing the family together and happy. The Wilders endured Almanzo's illness and paralysis, a tornado destroying their first house, the loss of Royal Wilder, the loss of Baby Wilder and Rose contracting small pox, Jenny Wilder almost dying twice, and the death of Laura's beloved brother, Albert. Thank goodness we see some happy times, too.
• The way the actors portrayed a married couple in crisis. By now, they should be experts at it. We should remember, however, that neither was married and Melissa Gilbert was only 19 when this episode aired. 
• Mr. Montague delivering presents to the Carters and Jenny Wilder dressed as Santa Claus. Though he rallied against the commercialization of Christmas--something I'm pretty sure never came up in the late 1800s--he puts aside his feelings when the Wilders are delayed and the Carters have nothing to give their boys. 
• A strong Almanzo defending his family. When they find Rose, Patrick Norris still believes the story his wife has told him about the little girl she brought home belonging to them. It doesn't take long for him to grab his gun. Though Laura pleads with both men to stop it, Almanzo isn't about to back down from protecting his family. Seeing him so dedicated to his family is not new, but if you think to how despondent he was back when Rose was born and he thought he would never walk again, this strong protector is truly a different man.
• Sam being adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Norris. Not sure everything was legal, but they all ended up happy.

What do you think about this episode? Do you share any of my nitpicks or enjoyable moments? Were there any other things that make it or break it for this episode?

Survey Results

It's an upset! For that past two years in a row, A Christmas They Never Forgot took top honors as the Little House on the Prairie episode our readers most wanted to watch.  This year, Christmas at Plum Creek won by a landslide, taking 47% of the vote, while A Christmas They Never Forgot and Blizzard tied for second place. The Christmas scene from The Pilot and the post--series movie, Bless All the Dear Children tied for third. That last one I try to forget exists. It's too sappy even by LHOP standards.

Thanks to all who participated. Hope you had a nice holiday.

Christmas at Plum Creek

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

Christmas at Plum Creek is one of those feel good, classic Little House on the Prairie episodes. Just like the many Christmases Laura Ingalls Wilder shares in her books, you get the feeling that while the Ingalls family didn't have much to spare, they were happy and felt blessed by what they had.

This episode opens in town, with some not often seen snow piling up around the edges of the buildings and bases of trees. Nellie wants Laura to sell her pony, Bunny, to her, but Laura refuses. Back at home, the family starts talking about Christmas and Charles tells young Carrie what Christmas is all about.

It soon becomes a Christmas of secrets. Each family taking out their secret stash of coins and not coming up with much. The family visits Oleson's Mercantile, where Charles and Laura spy Caroline looking at the cook stove and Carrie is captivated by a foil star hanging from the ceiling. Mary takes on a job sewing with Mrs. Whipple. Caroline works on a special gift for Charles, and Charles makes a deal with Mr. Oleson to refurbish a set of wheels so he will have enough money to purchase the stove for Caroline. He doesn't know, however, that Laura has entered into a deal with Mr. Oleson to sell Bunny so that she can buy the stove for her Ma.

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

If ever there was an episode about selfless love, Christmas at Plum Creek is it. Mr. Oleson is so great in this episode as he works to keep everyone's secrets, and how he helps Carrie buy the star that ends up on the top of their tree. My heart aches each time I see the Olesons arrive to collect Bunny. I also love the ending with Carrie putting the star on top of the tree and announcing, "Happy birthday, Baby Jesus!"

This is one episode you need to watch this time of year.

New Survey - Which Christmas Episode Will You Be Watching This Year?

Our annual survey is back. I like to post it each year to see if the results change. There are four episodes that are set during Christmas and there is also a Christmas scene in The Pilot where Mr. Edwards crosses the river to deliver presents for Santa Claus to the Ingalls girls.

Feel free to vote in the poll in our sidebar for which episode you'll be watching this year. You can share your comments in this post.

Christmas Survey Results

How a year changes things. Last year when I asked our readers to vote for their favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode, A Christmas They Never Forgot barely beat out Christmas on Plum Creek to take the title.

But this year, A Christmas They Never Forgot took 45% of the vote to the 22% that Christmas on Plum Creek received. The Christmas scene from the pilot came up with 18% of the vote, followed by Blizzard with 9% and Bless All the Dear Children with 3%. I wonder if some snow in that episode would have helped out those votes for the last one. Just kidding.

Thanks to all who participated. A new survey is coming soon.

A Christmas They Never Forgot--Reflections on a Favorite Episode

Christmas always inspires me to share my thoughts, and this episode of Little House on the Prairie is a favorite of mine.

While the show ran for nine seasons plus three additional movies, we didn't see episodes surrounding Christmas often--and I don't think the last Christmas episode (Bless All the Dear Children) had any snow in it. Most likely because the show was filmed in California, and based upon my conversation with Kent McCray, it seems to have taken a great deal of effort to create those snowy scenes. (Rolled up sleeves around Christmas in Minnesota?)




That the little house on Plum Creek got blasted with so much snow that all their guests had to spend the night, is just one of the many things that makes this episode so special, as does the wonderful music that Michael Landon decided to use.


This is the last time that we see every member of the Ingalls clan together. By this time Mary and Adam are living in New York, and Hester Sue brings them to Walnut Grove as a surprise. We don't see Mary and Adam again, something that always makes me sad, as I wish they could have returned for the final movie.


The family sits around telling stories of Christmases past. Caroline, Almanzo, Laura and Hester Sue each share a bit of themselves with the entire group. We learn about how Caroline came to accept Papa Holbrook, and the Christmas that Almanzo almost stopped believing in Santa Claus. Laura shares the memory of Mr. Edwards coming for Christmas dinner when the Ingalls family lived in their little cabin in Kansas, and Hester Sue shares a Christmas as a black child from the south living during the Civil War.

Each story is touching and every story speaks volumes of what we have come to love about Little House on the Prairie.

One thing that sticks out to me in this episode is how much a part of the cast Dean Butler and his character Almanzo have become by this point. Now, I know I am slightly biased because I am a huge fan of Dean's, but Charles and Almanzo have many wonderful scenes together in this episode. I especially enjoy when Almanzo and Charles are about to go off to fix the barn door and Almanzo says, "Let's go Pop", to which Charles replies, "Follow me son." A far cry from their relationship at the beginning, where Charles punched the daylights out of Almanzo for possibly kissing his young daughter. Watching Charles's feelings toward Almanzo change is one of the best parts of the series for me. That's why I've written several fan fiction stories that involve these two men--including a new one that I am in the process of editing.

Since so many of you have voted for this episode as your favorite, I would love to read your comments on what is so special about this episode to you.

Merry Christmas everyone!

New Favorite Christmas Episode Survey

Well, it's back. I have just posted the survey asking what your favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode is. Though I know I am totally biased, mine will always be A Christmas They Never Forgot. I enjoy hearing about Almanzo's, Caroline's, and Hester Sue's childhoods, and listening to Laura retell the story of their Christmas in Kansas brings back fond memories. It's also nice to have Adam and Mary back in Walnut Grove again, though I wish we had seen more of them.

Make sure you vote for your favorite in our sidebar. I also changed the voice over on the AudioPal so give it a listen.

And the survey says...

Life seems to have gotten away from me since planning for the holidays. Here's hoping I'll have more time to dedicate to this blog in the near future.

In November and December we asked which is your favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode. A Christmas They Never Forgot barely beat out Christmas on Plum Creek to take the honors, followed closely by the Christmas scene from the Pilot.



A Christmas They Never Forgot takes place during Season 8 after the Cooper children have been adopted by Charles and Caroline. A very pregnant Laura, Almanzo, the Ingalls family, and Hester Sue plan to spend the holidays together. Hester Sue brings Mary and Adam back as a surprise and everyone is excited to see them again.



Caroline, Almanzo, Laura and Hester Sue all share Christmas stories from their past while the entire group is snowed in by a blizzard leaving the little house on Plum Creek filled to capacity and overflowing with love and the joys of the season.

Look for a new survey coming soon.