User Reviews

If you're expecting the same quality as the first 8 seasons, think again. This is at least two notches below, and I am being generous. The script, story and acting is overly pretentious. It's like watching a play of people over acting their parts. If you can see beyond those flaws, it's better than no Little house... Anyway, a quick summary... Charles and family move to the big city so he can get gainful employment in a clothing store. Laura quits teaching to raise Rose. Zalzamo's brother "Royal" comes to town. But this time he's a widower and has a daughter. 2 seasons earlier, he had a wife and 2 boys. Anyway, he's in poor health and has yet to let everyone know the extent of his health problem. As for the new school teacher, her name is Miss Etta Plum, who is acted by Michael Landon's real daughter. That's the gist part 1 of the 2 parter. I left out some details, but theyre not important. The only saving grace of the series, the olssens and Mr Edwards are still in town. The friction between Mr. Edwards and Hariett Olssen is enough to keep me watching.

Spring 1887- Times being what they were, Charles had been left with no alternative but to sell the little house and relocate the family to Bur Oak, Iowa. The new owners were a blacksmith, John Carter, his wife Sarah, and their two boys Jeb and Jason. It was a very emotional time for Charles Ingalls, having to leave the house he'd built for his family and whom he watched grow up in it. He'd come to gather up the last of the family's belongings before heading out, and he and Laura share one more emotional moment together before heading back to Laura's house for Charles' big farewell party. All his friends were there and they gave him a fine new suit to wear on his new job in the city. The next day, Laura officially turned over her blackboard to a newcomer into the community and recently certified schoolteacher Etta Plum. See, work and home was getting to be too much for Laura to juggle, so she had to sacrifice one to fulfill the other, but she would always be there for students in need of homework help. So, after sending Willie to the corner one last time, for old time's sake (at his request), Laura bid her class a tearful goodbye. At home, Almanzo brings good news: his brother Royal is coming out with his little girl, Jenny. According to "The Nephews", didn't Royal have twin boys? And what does Manly mean by ten years? They visited in Season 7...Maybe it's a different Royal? Anyway, ecstatic about the impending visit, Almanzo builds them a guest room in only 3 days. Talk about ingenuity! Seems Royal had been giving some thought to moving out to Walnut Grove permanently, and as for Jenny, she was quickly enrolled at school. With all these changes going on, the one thing that sadly hasn't changed is Mrs. Oleson, who drops in on Sarah Carter who's just starting her new printing press. Harriet regaled her with her past venture known as 'Harriet's Happenings' (fifth season) and tries to get her own gossip column in Sarah's paper, which she quickly declined, in favor of posting actual news. Harriet opted to do the weather forecasts, and would somehow slip her gossip column in there somehow, and she thought she succeeded, submitting her weather/gossip column, which Sarah actually did print...minus the gossip, infuriating Harriet. As for bratty Nancy, she takes an immediate dislike to Jenny on the basis of she's good looking. This could cause trouble; Royal's health slowly deteriorated since his arrival. Doc Baker was summoned when he suffered a nasty heart attack one morning. It seems Royal was dying and he was aware of it. He had a very special favor to ask of Almanzo and Laura, and it involved Jenny...

Very emotional Little House episode, I must say. As you know, this was the first episode to be under the gauntlet of Little House: A New Beginning, and it does the transition very well. It was nice to see Michael Landon as a series regular one last time, and he will be back for a few more episodes down the line; we are also introduced to new characters in the series. Now living in the Ingalls' house: Stan Ivar as John, Pamela Roylance as Sarah, Lindsay Kennedy as Jeb and David Friedman as Jason, all fit in very well. Leslie Landon joins as Etta Plum, and Shannen Doherty (pre-scandal) as Jenny Wilder. All welcomed additions to the cast. New characters generate fresh new story lines, even though Season 9 does contain a few rehashes; Now this season was different from the others as it tended to turn its focus more on the citizens of Walnut Grove as opposed to just the Ingalls family. Enjoy Part I of this magnificent saga, though keep the Kleenex handy, and stay tuned for Part II!