The Worst Episodes of Little House on the Prairie

A heavy rain has been falling in Walnut Grove for two months, and it shows no signs of stopping. Farmers like Charles fear that their families will go hungry, and after reading an article in the newspaper, they take a 400-mile journey with their wives and children for a temporary new life in Gold Country. Things start out pretty well when Charles and Isaiah dig up some gold, but Laura and Carl get a completely different perspective from a new friend that they meet near their camp site. Meanwhile, Caroline opens and teaches a school in a tent, right in the middle of town, but it proves to be a less-than-ideal learning environment for everyone.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

Albert's imagination starts to get the better of him when he dreams that he and Laura are taken by Indians.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Michael Landon

In this episode starring twins Lindsey and Sidney Greenbush, Charles takes a job on a telephone crew that is working in southern Minnesota, which requires him to be away from home for several weeks. Carrie, heartsick for her Pa and craving attention, only manages to get into everybody else's way, so the lonesome tyke creates an imaginary friend, Alyssa, to ease the pain.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

Almanzo's brother, Royal, leaves his two kids with the Wilders while he and his wife are on vacation. Laura and Almanzo have their hands full taking care of these boys.

Director: N/A

Writer: Chris Abbott

The Older Brothers is a gang that used to have a notorious reputation. First they hold up Mr. Edwards but end up losing the money. Then they try to get ransom money for Mr. Edwards but that doesn't go very well.

Director: Victor French

Writer: Michael Landon

A former football star moves back to Walnut Grove. He agrees to become coach of the football team. His goal is to win at all costs. This kind of thinking puts Albert in great danger. Towards the end of the show the football coach starts to realize that winning isn't everything.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

Caroline Ingalls joins in protest with the rest of the Walnut Grove women to try to convince Charles and the other men to sign a petition addressing the injustice of a law that transfers a woman's property rights to her husband after marriage.

Director: N/A

Writer: Chris Abbott

In an episode about hero worship, Charles and Nels share deep concerns over an aging circus performer's influence on the children of Walnut Grove. Particularly since some of them - Albert and Willie in particular - have tried some of the daredevil's more dangerous stunts, with mixed results.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Jeri Taylor

Nels is kidnapped by two crooks. The crooks try to get Mrs. Oleson to pay ransom for her husband, but she refuses to. This makes Mr. Oleson upset and causes him to help the crooks. The kidnappers aren't very lucky. After kidnapping several different people, the crooks decide that they need to try another line of work. They leave without hurting any of the kidnapped people.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Chris Abbott

Johnny Johnson leaves to ""see the world"" and Mr. Edwards goes along with him to keep him out of trouble. Johnny meets up with a girl who is able to trick him out of a lot of money. Mr. Edwards talks to this girl to try to have her convince Johnny to go back home.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

After a boy is in an accident, he pretends to be blind to keep his parents from getting divorced. Laura discovers that the boy isn't blind, but doesn't tell his parents because the boy pleads with her not to. The boy is involved in another accident and has a concussion. The concussion causes him to not remember his pretending to be blind.

Director: N/A

Writer: Arthur Heinemann

The Ingallses and Olesons take a trip to the fair. Patrick, a carnival worker and Mary's boyfriend, and his boss, Cass (a balloonist and suave ladies man) vie for Mary's attention; Charles and Nels entering a jackass riding contest; and Carrie has her own adventure.

Director: N/A

Writer: Arthur Heinemann

When Charles refuses to admit that James will likely never recover from his gunshot wound, he leaves Walnut Grove with his adopted son. He builds an altar in the woods and hopes that God will bring a miracle.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Michael Landon

Laura falls in love with a new student, Johnny Johnson. Johnny, who is a lot older than Laura, is interested in Mary instead. Although Mary is not interested in Johnny, Laura's actions cause tension between the sisters. When Charles finds this out, he is appalled that either of his girls is involved with Johnny.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

During a visit to a farmer's convention in Milwaukee, Charles and Caroline meet up with old school mates. Charles learns that larger farmers are trying to put his small farming friends out of business and urges them to stand up for their profession. Meanwhile, Caroline becomes envious about the financial fortunes of their one-time friends, but she soon learns there's more to their success stories than meets the eyes.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Michael Landon

Harriet finds a bearer bond from Walnut Grove. She uses this to try to get people to follow her suggestions. She tells the town council that if she doesn't get her way, she will cash in the bond which would force the town to pay Mrs. Oleson over $10,000.

Director: N/A

Writer: Paul W. Cooper

Mr. Stark has gotten himself so far in debt that he has lost his mind. He goes home and shoots his wife and daughter. Then he goes off and ends up at Laura's house. He mistakes Laura and Jenny for his wife and daughter, but when he sees Rose, he thinks that his daughter has had a baby.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Mr. Edwards and the residents of Walnut Grove make friends with an orangutan. But the friendship and the fun-loving primate's life may be short-lived when Nancy and Mrs. Olesen cause trouble.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

After Mr. Garvey's barn burns to the ground with the crops inside, his wife, Alice, takes a job at the post office. Mr. Garvey opposes this believing that a man should be able to support his family. He is ready to get a divorce until he realizes what his stubborn pride was doing to his family.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

A blind student feels he is useless. He is reluctant to do anything at the blind school. The student gains self-confidence when he is talked into being the center for the Winoka football team. He is able to throw Albert across the goal line during the game to score the tying touchdown for the Winoka Warriors, keeping the Warriors from losing.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Toby Noe turns up again after the Ingalls, Garveys and Olesons decided to leave the town Standish owned (episode 93, There's No Place Like Home (1)). He makes an immediate impact, stirring things up, especially with Amanda. Laura and Albert do some matchmaking for the upcoming dance.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: N/A

Albert begins writing more frequently to a pen pal of his. He tries to impress the girl he is writing to. The girl also does the same thing. Albert falls in love with her and goes to see her one time. This girl is very reluctant. Albert thinks that she doesn't like him until he sees her in a wheelchair. Both of them promise to continue writing to each other, but this time they would only tell the truth in their writings.

Director: Michael Landon

Writer: Michael Landon

James is trying to be more like Albert. He even wants to shave like Albert has to. While James is shaving, he breaks Albert's razor. James steals a razor from the mercantile hoping Albert wouldn't notice the difference. When the truth is found out about the razor, James runs away. Albert takes off after him. When Albert finds James, it takes a lot of convincing before James decides to come back home with him.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

A longtime friend of Caroline writes to her and asks for help. Her friend is pregnant and lives at a gold prospector's camp where there is an outbreak of influenza. Caroline finds out that her friend's husband doesn't like her wife. In fact, he wants his wife's baby to die. Caroline's friend dies during childbirth, but the child survives. In another tent, a mother's child dies while be born. Caroline decides to give the baby to the other mother since she knows that the baby will be taken care of properly.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Royal has a very bad heart and asks Laura and Almanzo to take care of his daughter since he was going to die soon. Jenny is devastated by her father's death. After talking to Reverend Alden about heaven, she tries to commit suicide by drowning so that she could be with her father again. Jeb Carter is able to save Jenny although he can't swim. Laura convinces Jenny that she should do what would make her parents proud.

Director: N/A

Writer: Michael Landon