Previously on Little House, Mary and Adam had to leave with the blind school because Mr. Standish, the meanest man in town, had bought the building to turn it into another of his sleazy hotels. Reverend Alden had decided to donate the late Lars Hanson's old house to the school, as his estate was willed to the church, so as the townspeople fix it up, Charles and Joe rode to Winoka to escort the new school home. Harriet went along to liven things up and to meet Hester Sue Terhune, whom she hoped was part of the St. Louis Terhunes, known aristocrats. Now we rejoin the party as they wait at the train station for Hester Sue. Harriet was all gussied up in the most ridiculous dress and hat she could find, and was she in for a surprise. Coming off the box car was Hester Sue Terhune, an African American woman, as she gently helped off her own students. Harriet the bigot was dismayed that all her efforts were seemingly for nothing. Joe Kagen took a quick liking to Hester Sue, although the feeling was not mutual. She had to remind him that she was MRS. Terhune, and we'll all meet Mr. Terhune in Season 8. Anyway, en route home, the wagon train met with a fierce rain storm, but nobody complained...except for Harriet, who did the complaining for everyone. Charles and Joe studied the map, anticipating an upcoming river that would be tricky to cross. It seems all this talk of rivers has been very unsettling to Adam. Wonder why. He must be a hydrophobic.
Back at home, Laura and Albert act out a PSA on the dangers of smoking, and after that bit of unfunny comic relief, we join the blind school caravan where Harriet has surprisingly agreed to ride with Joe in his wagon. Could it be she's had a change of heart? Sort of. Last night she overheard Joe talking to a young boy, Samson, about how some people think there's a right color and a wrong color, and Harriet was one of those people. So after taking her foot out of her mouth, Harriet attempted to show she had a compassionate side and make peace with Joe. Good, I'm glad that was settled. So the cavalcade pushed on, while back in Walnut Grove, Nels received the sign Harriet had ordered for the school as he, Jonathan and the surly driver nearly broke their backs and their toes unloading the bloody thing. So while they figure out where to put their new monstrosity (Nels knows where he'd like to put it), the wagon train arrived at the river. It was bigger, deeper and wilder than the last and worst of all, the ferry had sunk. Always the hero, Charles volunteered to go on ahead and ford the river at the shallowest part. He made it, but deemed the crossing too dangerous for the children, so using a rigging and a tow line, they managed to glide the children, including Harriet, across the water to safety. The whole time Adam was petrified, and it was here that we finally learn his reason: it all started when he was a boy on a fishing trip with his father. He was jumping from stone to stone when he slipped and fell in, he nearly drown and everything had gone dark. That was apparently how Adam went blind. So his trauma is understandable. So finally, they all arrive back in Walnut Grove at the brand new blind school, everybody was delighted to see them and there was a big homecoming celebration...unfortunately that racist Larabee had to ruin everything by going on a tirade about Hester Sue and the black children. But who of all people should come to their defense? Harriet Oleson. I'm not making this up, Harriet puts Larabee in his place and decreed that there was no difference in black and white, except for color. So all was well, Adam, Mary, Hester Sue and the children settled into their new school and Hester Sue and Joe became close friends but at a distance.
Nice conclusion to a thrilling two-parter. Here, we get to meet Ketty Lester as Hester Sue Terhune, a re-curring character for the remainder of the series. She was a very good performer, as was Moses Gunn as Joe, and of course Katherine MacGregor as Harriet, who really learned her lesson in this episode. It was great seeing her come to the children's defense when Larabee started ranting and raving. She didn't do it to make herself look good as she often did in such situations, you could tell that she really meant it and the words came right from the heart. So if you like Joe Kagen, Hester Sue, the blind school, and you want to see how they all got settled in Walnut Grove, check out Blind Journey Parts I and II, a great lesson for all to behold.
Back at home, Laura and Albert act out a PSA on the dangers of smoking, and after that bit of unfunny comic relief, we join the blind school caravan where Harriet has surprisingly agreed to ride with Joe in his wagon. Could it be she's had a change of heart? Sort of. Last night she overheard Joe talking to a young boy, Samson, about how some people think there's a right color and a wrong color, and Harriet was one of those people. So after taking her foot out of her mouth, Harriet attempted to show she had a compassionate side and make peace with Joe. Good, I'm glad that was settled. So the cavalcade pushed on, while back in Walnut Grove, Nels received the sign Harriet had ordered for the school as he, Jonathan and the surly driver nearly broke their backs and their toes unloading the bloody thing. So while they figure out where to put their new monstrosity (Nels knows where he'd like to put it), the wagon train arrived at the river. It was bigger, deeper and wilder than the last and worst of all, the ferry had sunk. Always the hero, Charles volunteered to go on ahead and ford the river at the shallowest part. He made it, but deemed the crossing too dangerous for the children, so using a rigging and a tow line, they managed to glide the children, including Harriet, across the water to safety. The whole time Adam was petrified, and it was here that we finally learn his reason: it all started when he was a boy on a fishing trip with his father. He was jumping from stone to stone when he slipped and fell in, he nearly drown and everything had gone dark. That was apparently how Adam went blind. So his trauma is understandable. So finally, they all arrive back in Walnut Grove at the brand new blind school, everybody was delighted to see them and there was a big homecoming celebration...unfortunately that racist Larabee had to ruin everything by going on a tirade about Hester Sue and the black children. But who of all people should come to their defense? Harriet Oleson. I'm not making this up, Harriet puts Larabee in his place and decreed that there was no difference in black and white, except for color. So all was well, Adam, Mary, Hester Sue and the children settled into their new school and Hester Sue and Joe became close friends but at a distance.
Nice conclusion to a thrilling two-parter. Here, we get to meet Ketty Lester as Hester Sue Terhune, a re-curring character for the remainder of the series. She was a very good performer, as was Moses Gunn as Joe, and of course Katherine MacGregor as Harriet, who really learned her lesson in this episode. It was great seeing her come to the children's defense when Larabee started ranting and raving. She didn't do it to make herself look good as she often did in such situations, you could tell that she really meant it and the words came right from the heart. So if you like Joe Kagen, Hester Sue, the blind school, and you want to see how they all got settled in Walnut Grove, check out Blind Journey Parts I and II, a great lesson for all to behold.
