The Lake Kezia Monster (12 Feb. 1979)

Kezia doesn't believe in paying property taxes, and it isn't long before Mrs. Oleson decides to foreclose on the property and purchase it for herself as the family's vacation home. Nels ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Landon

Writers:

Laura Ingalls Wilder (based upon the series of books "Little House" by), John T. Dugan

Stars:

Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls
Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls (credit only)
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine MacGregor)
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson
Dabbs Greer	...	Reverend Robert Alden
Merlin Olsen	...	Jonathan Garvey
Hersha Parady	...	Alice Garvey
Patrick Labyorteaux	...	Andrew 'Andy' Garvey (as Patrick Laborteaux)
Matthew Labyorteaux	...	Albert Quinn Ingalls

Storyline

Kezia doesn't believe in paying property taxes, and it isn't long before Mrs. Oleson decides to foreclose on the property and purchase it for herself as the family's vacation home. Nels objects to the purchase, knowing she had acquired it unfairly and that Kezia would have no place to go, but Mrs. Oleson responds by moving herself and Nellie and Willie to the lakeside property. Mrs. Oleson, in a show of pity, hires Kezia to be their servant and forces her to live in the shack. Laura, Albert and Andy watch from afar and are disgusted at how cruelly the three Olesons are treating their friend Kezia, and also aware that Mrs. Oleson used underhanded means to buy the property. One night, after hearing Caroline read a story about monsters, Albert comes up with an idea to concoct a monster to drive the Olesons off the property. Working with Kezia, the children set their plans in motion, but Mrs. Oleson, Nellie and Willie are too smart for any tricks and harden their resolve to stay on "their...

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Plot Keywords:

lake monster | moose head | property tax

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1979 (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

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Kezia Horne: [Kezia is separating peas from their pods] With that bathing suit on she looks like a hot air balloon!
Mrs. Oleson: What did you say?
Kezia Horne: I said I ought to have all these peas cracked by noon.
Mrs. Oleson: Well you better!

User Reviews

Don't Go in the Water.

School's out for summer, and plans have been made by Laura, Andrew and Albert to spend plenty of time with Kezia at her home by the lake, which she's dubbed Lake Kezia. Harriet, meanwhile, has decided to get a summer home. Where it is located, she would not say, but she's already ordered furniture without consulting Nels. She wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, although I believe most of it is caused by her anyway. So at Lake Kezia, the old lady and the kids spent the day fishing. I'm starting to wonder where and how she got that house. When we first met her in Season 4, she lived in a house without walls or a ceiling near the school. I guess everybody chipped in and bought her a real house? Anyway, she had just started telling the children a delightful story about the Loch Ness monster, when suddenly they had a visitor. Not just any visitor, but the worst kind: a tax collector. Kezia grabbed a stick and tried to shoo him off, knowing full well he'd come to collect money from her. Well, the tax man, Mr. Flint, had some good news and some bad news. The good news: he wasn't here to collect from Kezia but to inform her the taxes were paid by, the bad news: new owners of the property. Years of property tax evasion has caused them to auction off Kezia's house. Now you have to wonder: who would be mean, nasty and heartless enough to have done such a thing? I'll give you three guesses.

Well you can bet Kezia Horn was not willing to go down without a fight, so when that fat bitch, choked with a corset half her size, came to claim her new property, she and Kezia got into a scrap, with poor Reverend Alden, trying to act as peace keeper, caught in the middle. He managed to calm the two hags and ask Harriet if there were a way for Kezia to stay on somehow. It was the Christian thing to do. So Harriet agreed, provided Kezia be the housekeeper and have to sleep in the shed. Good Christian, my ass. Thus, Lake Harriet became a sophisticated summer home for her stuck-up, rich friends, whom Kezia was forced to serve. The kids hated seeing their friend suffer at the hands of such a vile, cruel person, and wanted to scare them off the lake. But how? Albert had an idea, and with Kezia's help, they devised a plan. It all began the next morning. Harriet heard a frightful roar coming from the lake. Kezia said it was the monster it inhabited, but the Oleson matriarch dismisses it as nonsense. Kezia goes on to say that this monster belongs to Harriet now, seeing as how it's her lake. She didn't buy it, then proceeded to tell Kezia off and went back to bed. You know, I wish a monster really would appear and gobble up that fat, loathsome bitch and her awful children. Anyway, Albert Ingalls never gives up, so he devised another step in their plan in the form of Operation: Seeing is Believing. I say get a lion and turn it loose in the house. So, Laura acquires glue, tacks, burlap and some Roman candles and a few wood scraps from the mill and they set about their plan. Andrew even managed to get his hands on his Pa's over-sized hunting trophy. Alice hated it with a passion and was only too glad to let it go. Now to enforce believability, Laura, Andrew and Albert hid under water and proceeded to bite Harriet, Nellie and Willie on the ankles. Following their little panic attack, Harriet sent Willie back to the store to get the shotgun. No monster was gonna intrude on her ill-gotten property without a fight. But that evening, the monster attacked. Scared out of her wits, Harriet fired a few rounds, not knowing that clever Nels had loaded it with blanks. Terrified, Harriet and her little hellions ran off. Victory had been snatched from the jaws of defeat. Good triumphed over evil. Lake Harriet was no more, for the true monster had left.

Kezia Horn was never seen or heard from again after this episode, as is Little House tradition. Hermione Baddeley was excellent once again as the lone Kezia, who I guess moved on to another place and a new life. Katherine MacGregor once again brings out the rotten in Harriet. Now I know this episode wants you to hate her for taking over Kezia's property and treat her like crap, which was very wrong, however Kezia was in the wrong for not paying her taxes like everyone else has to. I'd say both sides were in the wrong, but since Harriet has been in the wrong so many times in the past, it stands to reason she would be the main focus of dislike. This episode is also pretty funny at times, like when Kezia and Harriet are fighting, with Reverend Alden caught between them, also when Harriet is yelling for somebody to shoot the monster and Nellie points out that she's holding the gun. Pretty good. While, funny and frustrating, this episode is a mild crowd pleaser. Little House fans, as well as fans of the short-lived Kezia character should check it out.