Darkness Is My Friend (21 Jan. 1980)

On a dark and stormy night, Laura and Mary are staying alone at the School For the Blind when they are taken hostage by a trio of escaped convicts. One of the criminals is badly injured, ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Landon

Writers:

Laura Ingalls Wilder (based upon the series of books "Little House" by), Vince Gutierrez

Stars:

Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls
Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls Kendall
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine MacGregor)
Matthew Labyorteaux	...	Albert Quinn Ingalls
Linwood Boomer	...	Adam Kendall
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Banks	...	Jed
Larry Golden	...	Abel
Wayne Grace	...	Guard

Storyline

On a dark and stormy night, Laura and Mary are staying alone at the School For the Blind when they are taken hostage by a trio of escaped convicts. One of the criminals is badly injured, and his cohorts demand to see a doctor. Laura is sent to get Dr. Baker, warned that the consequences will be deadly if she tries any tricks. However, a terrified Laura tells her Pa what is happening. Charles shows up posing as Dr. Baker, but when the real Dr. Baker arrives, Charles is forced to be resourceful to disarm the crooks.

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Plot Keywords:

prisoners on the run | singing offkey | prisoner transport | bad singing | off key singing | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 1980 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ed Friendly Productions, National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nellie sings "Home on the Range" at the piano.

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Quotes

Nellie Oleson: Would you like to hear another song?
Nelson "Nels" Oleson: *No*, well I mean...
[knock]
Nelson "Nels" Oleson: Sounds like Doc Baker.
Nellie Oleson: I wonder what he's doing here.
Nelson "Nels" Oleson: He probably heard your singing and thought someone was dying!
Nelson "Nels" Oleson: Oh, come in Doctor.
[Nellie starts singing again]

User Reviews

What's the worst that could happen?

Three notorious criminals have just been apprehended by the law and were put on a guarded train to Sleepy Eye where they would be transferred on to prison, with a few more stops here and there. While this was going on, Adam was preparing to make a trip to Redwood Falls to secure funding for the blind school, and he'd be taking Hester Sue, Caroline and Harriet along for moral support. Departure was slightly delayed due to Nels accidentally falling down a hill with Harriet's enormous steamer trunk, dirtying all her clothes in the process. Charles thought it was funny as hell. Laura sees this as an opportunity to spend a little quality time with Mary and arranges a sleepover. It's funny they never considered having a sighted person help Mary with the blind school, not to mention her baby until now. Anyway, en route to Sleepy Eye, the jailer made the mistake of loosening the outlaws' cuffs so they could stretch out, and the second jailer made the mistake of being a lousy shot, because Jed, Abel and Jake were able to violently attack them and make their escape, with Abel being wounded in the process. This would only mildly complicate their plans. Back in Walnut Grove, a storm was brewin', both in the sense of weather and in the Ingalls' kitchen, as Albert whips up his specialty: exploding potatoes. Pretty sure Charles is missing Caroline more than ever now. But enough about that, let's join Mary at the school as she comforts the frightened kids, and then Laura arrives to liven things up. So they will be spending the night. Alone, in the middle of nowhere, on a dark and stormy night, with three murderers on the loose, I don't think anything could possibly go wrong.

Mary and Laura relax by the fire, sharing fond memories from Season 2 and it seems like an overall peaceful, heartfelt evening. That is until Jake and his men barge in and hold the girls at gun point. They put a waning Abel on a bed and demand a doctor, so Laura is sent to fetch Doc Baker, with an ultimatum that if she squealed, they would kill Mary, cause they're the bad guys and that's the kind of stuff bad guys do. Well, Doc Baker wasn't in his office so Laura followed the wailing shrieks of Nellie's singing to the Oleson residence. Unfortunately she couldn't let on what was really happening, so she informs Nels that Mary is experiencing stomach pains for which he gives her an elixir. Time for Plan B. Laura seeks out Superman, or as he's known in these parts, Charles Ingalls! If her Pa can't help her, nobody can. So he breaks into Doc Baker's office and takes his med kit. Time to go kick some ass Ingalls style! So, "Doc Baker" is put to work on Abel's leg, Jake threatening him with a rifle all the while. Things looked tense, but they were about to get worse. Who should come to the door but the real Doc Baker! Jake pistol whips him, while Charles punches out Jed and takes his gun. He and Jake along with Mary have a little dangerous game of hide and seek, with Jake cornering the frightened Kendall girl before Charles heroically comes to her rescue and knocks the evil bastard out. And so everything worked out, the crooks were apprehended and the reward money (there was a reward for the criminals apparently) helped out the school when Adam was turned down for funds, and Doc Baker swore never to make another house call again.

If you like edge-of-your-seat, look no further. This episode is a non-stop roller coaster of twists and turns, and the tensity is so thick you need a chain saw to cut through it. It was wonderfully acted, particularly by Melissa Gilbert, Melissa Sue Anderson, Michael Landon, and of course, James McIntire was really good as that evil S.O.B. Jake. Yeah, these weren't funny outlaws like the Younger Brothers, these were horrible men who nearly killed Charles and Mary; it was also nice seeing those bonding moments between Laura and Mary, because their on-screen relationship was worlds better than off-screen, I hear. The scenes of Mary comforting the children were sweet, especially the moment with her baby, which is now very sad because we all know what will become of him. Good direction from Michael Landon and a solid script from Vince Gutierrez. If you like Little House, you like dramatic and tense situations, Darkness is My Friend is for you.