There's some new fellas in town, the Galendar brothers: Sam, George, and the youngest, Bubba. These men were nothing but troublemakers, and this can spell bad news to a town governed on the honor system. No police and no jail, so the good Christians of Walnut Grove would have to cope and, as Reverend Alden often taught them, to turn the other cheek. But even the good reverend will get a good lesson in dealing with people to whom when you turn the other cheek, they'll punch that one too. So one fine morning, Bubba headed off to the schoolhouse while Sam and George stopped in to Oleson's Mercantile and ran up a good sized bill of $16. Surprisingly, the boys had no money, but promised a bank draft was coming in on Friday, so the good natured Olesons accepted this and Sam and George were on their way with their heap of unpaid goodies. After that, it was on to Hanson's Mill to procure some lumber to finish their roof. They set their sights on a load that already set for Mr. Henderson, but since he wouldn't be starting on his place for a couple of weeks and Charles could guarantee another load cut by then, Mr. Hanson let the Galendars have it for $18, the same price charged to Henderson. Much like with the Olesons, they promised Hanson payment on Friday when their bank draft came. Bubba, meanwhile, was fitting in right nicely at school, meaning he fit much better at his desk when knocking Willie off of it. He officially established himself as the school's newest, and first, bully by throwing a ball at a little girl, shoving Laura and giving Mary a shiner. Ordinarily he wouldn't have gotten away with this, but the school's bigger boys were off due to planting season, and the girls didn't know how to fight. Well to cover her eye, Mary explains it was a dodge-ball accident, and luckily, Charles and Caroline buy it. It wasn't long before Mr. Hanson found out he'd been taken when he runs into Mr. Henderson who had found a better price for lumber...from the Galendars, selling him the lumber they swindled from Hanson, and never paid him for. Needless to say, he was furious, as were Nels and Harriet who were also never paid. But Reverend Alden simply told them to turn the other cheek and not let it ruin their day. Now come to find out, the Galendars can be very sacrilegious, because when receiving a visit from the reverend, Sam and George give a phony explanation on why they swindled the Olesons and Hanson: the overdue bank draft for the bills they owed, and as for the lumber, it seems their Ma had taken "terrible, terrible sick" and they needed the money. They didn't tell nobody because if word got back to "little" Bubba, it would break his heart. Reverend Alden accepted this, taking pity on them, even though these fellows were lying through their teeth.
The Galdenars continued spreading their madness and mayhem around Walnut Grove. While at school, Miss Beadle somehow fails to realize the bully problem, Sam and George set their sights on Caroline Ingalls...and they're after more than her basket of eggs. They accost her, but she flees the scene...This happened by the mill, so why didn't anybody see this happen? Well, sir, when Charles gets wind of this, the powder keg is touched off as he races to the Galendars' to beat some sense into them, but sadly they overpowered Charles, beat the hell out of him, and sent him away in an unmanned buckboard. Reverend Alden hears of Charles' actions, and does not condone them, despite the circumstances. Thanks a lot, Reverend, however he gets his taste of humble pie when he runs into Bubba and asks about his Ma, and he finds out he'd been lied to. Well, enough is enough, at church that Sunday, Alden performed a sermon on sinners, basically singling out the Galendars right then and there, making it known they were not wanted here. He made this especially known by pinning an uncooperative Sam to the wall, while Edwards and Hanson grabbed George. Then together, the entire male precession (sans Nels Oleson for some reason) marched those three fiends out of Walnut Grove for good.
Great episode. Great story, great drama. Great direction by Victor French, not to mention performance. Great all around. One of my favorite parts have to be when Mary finally stands up to Bubba and nearly cracks his skull with her lunch pail. I still find it odd that Miss Beadle didn't realize Bubba was a bully, nor did the townspeople really notice what Sam and George were up to. I guess Reverend Alden's preachings of turn the other cheek worked too well. But not anymore. I also liked each scene with Mr. Hanson, he's such a great character. Charles pounding the daylights out of Sam was very invigorating. Too bad he didn't get Edwards to help him, those boys wouldn't have stood a chance. Reverend Alden standing up to those brutes was great too; Geoffrey Lewis (Sam Galendar) would return in Season 9's "The Older Brothers" as Cole Younger, a more buffoonish villain; the performances that truly stand out are that of Michael Landon, Karl Swenson, Melissa Sue Anderson, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, Victor French, Dabbs Greer, and of course, Geoffrey Lewis, Roy Jenson, and Michael LeClair. All fantastic. Little House fans and TV viewers should really check this one out!
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