Most Favorite Episode from Each Season of Little House on the Prairie (Seasons 4 - 6)

Continuing to share my favorite episode of each season of Little House on the Prairie, this time covering Seasons 4, 5, and 6. 

Season 4 - "Here Come the Brides"

Adam Simms and his son, Luke, arrive in Walnut Grove. Nellie is quickly smitten with the barefooted pig farmer who has joined the one-room schoolhouse, much to her mother's dismay. Meanwhile, Adam and Miss Beadle's relationship blossoms into love. When Nellie and Luke run off to elope, Adam, Miss Beadle, and the Olesons race off to stop them before it's too late.

Why it's my favorite from Season 4: If you look at the rest of my favorites from this season, there is a ton of intense drama. The entire season is way more drama than comedy: Laura's dog dies; Mary finds out that John Jr. no longer loves her; Laura is kidnapped; Doc Baker quits when he loses a patient; the Garveys lose their entire crop; oh, and Mary loses her eyesight. Seriously, thanks to episodes like "Here Comes the Brides" and "The Creeper of Walnut Grove," viewers get a comedy break. 

Though watching Nellie fall in love for the first time is fun, it is the sometimes awkwardly developing relationship between Eva Beadle and Adam Simms that makes this a great episode. Miss Beadle has had a beau in the past ("Four Eyes" in Season 2), but mature single people in Walnut Grove don't seem to have much luck in the romance department. These two, however, fall in love, get married, and later in the season welcome a son ("A Most Precious Gift.") 

This episode is filled with memorable scenes, and I will share two. The first takes place at 42:05, as Luke is pacing the hotel room floor, waiting for Nellie to change behind the screen. He watches while she slings her dress over the top, growing more uncomfortable with each passing second. Then it is Luke's turn to change, and Nellie watches with wide eyes as his overalls appear over the top of the screen. You know they are already regretting their decision. 

Then, at 44:38, the now fully dressed Luke and Nellie are marched back to the Justice of the Peace. When he trudges to the front door and sees them standing there, he moans, "Oh no!" He opens the door and says, "Tell me, what's Walnut Grove got against me?" You can't help but laugh.

Season 5 - "The Wedding" 

Caroline and Charles receive word that Mary and Adam are going to be married. Because of the expense, Ma and Pa make the decision to leave all the children at home, and they journey by train to Winoka. As they sit down to dinner with Mary and Adam, Caroline shares stories of raising children. Suddenly frightened by the prospect of two blind people needing to care for a sighted child, Mary calls off the wedding. When Susan Goodspeed is lost during a sandstorm, Mary and Adam must search for her, giving Mary the confidence she needs to proceed with the wedding.

Why it's my favorite from Season 5: There are a ton of great Caroline moments in this episode: 

• When Charles brings her the telegram, she says, "Oh, my goodness. My baby's getting married." Then she is overcome with emotion, which doesn't often happen to Caroline.
• When Reverend Alden tells her he will go to Winoka to marry them, she is so excited that she kisses him on the cheek. 
• How she brings her wedding dress for Mary to wear, and the tender conversation they have.
• Her expression when Adam shows up at their hotel room after Mary has called off the wedding. 
• After the storm is over, as Caroline and Mary are in her room getting ready for the wedding, they have a laugh, and Caroline says that her old Mary is back. 
• Her expression, holding back tears, as Mary weds Adam, with Reverend Alden officiating. 

Another nice moment takes place in Walnut Grove at about 7:57. Nels calls Charles into the storeroom and asks him to give Mary a decorative box with a singing bird on it. When Charles argues that it costs too much, Nels tells him, "That little girl has been my pet since the first day she walked into the store." 

Season 6 - "Sweet Sixteen"

Laura earns her teaching certificate before her sixteenth birthday, so that she can teach in Curry while the regular teacher recovers. Almanzo helps Charles out by bringing her to Curry and picking her up a week later, which is enough time apart for Almanzo to realize she is no longer a little girl. Once home, Laura confides in Ma that she thinks what she has been dreaming of is finally happening between Almanzo and her, but his jealousy threatens their budding romance.

Why it's my favorite from Season 6: Choosing a favorite in this season was tougher than I thought it would be. "Back to School" is great because it introduces Almanzo Wilder, and Laura decides that she will make him see her as a woman one day. "Annabelle" is wonderful because we get some Nels backstory and a stunned Almanzo receives a kiss from an unknown clown. "Wilder and Wilder" is awesome because Laura teaches Almanzo a lesson not to underestimate her. But who can't appreciate Almanzo's change of heart toward Laura in "Sweet Sixteen?" 

As he admits to Charles, he always saw Laura as a young friend, but something changed after she went away. Suddenly, she doesn't seem like the young girl that he pulled off Nellie Oleson in the watering hole ("Back to School.") He's jealous when he thinks Chad Brewster is coming on to Laura, which she bites his head off for. And amazingly, throughout this episode, Laura is finally the one in control of her emotions, even as she is about to get a kiss from the man she has been pursuing since they first met. Almanzo is the one whose feelings are all out of sorts. This is a really good way to bring them into their married years, where Laura was more of an equal partner. 

Most Favorite Episode from Each Season of Little House on the Prairie (Seasons 1 - 3)

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 denied him for two reasons: 1) he hadn't yet paid off his current note (though Charles told him at least twice that he planned to do it the next day, and 2) he told him that if it wasn'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 how 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.