Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) There's No Place Like Home (Part II) (1978) User Reviews

The Ingalls make a life changing decision.

[tinman19602003 · 7/10 · 12 May 2006]

For some time now, (previous episodes starting with As Long as We're Together), the Ingalls family has lived and worked in the town of Winoka. The town, and all of it's enterprise is owned by the grasping and mean Mr. Standish (Leon Charles).

Toby Noe (Ray Bolger), the town character, who has purchased fireworks to give the town a real Independence Day celebration and then lost them in a game to greedy Mr. Standish has set the stage for a surprising chain of events.

Meanwhile, Charles and Caroline have become so unhappy with life in Winoka they have discussed returning to Walnut Grove, although they know that it will be extremely difficult to pick up where they left off and to convince the other towns folk to return.

When a tragic fire burns the hotel and the fireworks Mr. Standish has taken from the hapless Toby Noe, the die is cast and the Oleson's and Garvey's also decide to leave Winoka.

Saying goodbye to their daughter Mary, a teacher at the blind school, and her future husband Adam, they pack their things in their wagon and prepare to return to Walnut Grove.

Disappointed, Charles has held up the departure, hoping they would be joined by the young orphan he has befriended, (Matthew Laborteaux), he discovers that the lad has gone back to living under the stairs, where he first found the boy. With his heart almost breaking, Charles says goodbye to Albert and boards his wagon. Now Albert Quinn, who has no one in the world, is faced with a decision that is surprisingly tough for him to make.

Keeping Lars Hanson's Legacy Alive!

[ExplorerDS6789 · 9/10 · 26 October 2010]

First off, Laura, just get a remembrance book already. It's the fifth season. Anyway, as we open near the smoldering remains of Standish's gambling den, the Ingalls and the Garveys prepare for their long trip home, and poor Nels lost the money he gambled. Not in the game, but to his wife who snatched it and went out shopping. But what to do about Albert? It was hard for Charles to say goodbye, but what made it harder was how unresponsive the boy was. He seemed almost resentful. But you see, Charles had been doing some thinking. Albert was here all alone, no family, he wouldn't continue his schooling, and he could use his help on the farm. Finally have the son he never had...or almost had, but that's another story. He made Albert the offer and, well, let's just call him Albert Ingalls. So, the family says goodbye to Adam and all the children, and an especially tearful goodbye to Mary. Laura promises she will study hard and become a teacher someday, just like Mary. Her sister. Her best friend; and so, once Albert climbs aboard, the wagon train is ready to depart. After several days and nights, the Ingalls saw a sight for sore eyes: their little house in Plum Creek.

After enduring the non-stop noise of the city, their quite house was indeed a welcomed change. Weeds had all but taken over the farm, but they were easy to hack. Soon the house and farm were good as new, but this was only the beginning; that night, Albert was fixed up in the loft with Laura, with a curtain dividing them. Um... why doesn't Carrie sleep with Laura and Albert take her bed? This makes no sense. Did Michael Landon not give this some thought? Guys and girls bunking together? Anyway, the next day, Charles and Jonathan go into Walnut Grove, which had also nearly been taken over in shrubbery. Reverend Alden had moved on and folks stopped going to church and school. Worse yet, they find out Mr. Hanson suffered a stroke, but Doc Baker had been taking good care of him all this time. When going to see Mr. Hanson, it was apparent the old man had lost the will to live. His beloved town was dead, and he felt the same way. Charles and Jonathan devised a plan to restore Walnut Grove to its former glory, but they were going to need some help. They spread the word to local communities, trying to reach former residents. After many days of hard work, more and more people piled into town to help clean it up, and miraculously, they got the mill working again. By Sunday, Walnut Grove was back and thriving better than ever. The sound of the church bell reached Mr. Hanson's ears and it gave him the push he needed. Despite Jonathan and Doc Baker's protests, Hanson was determined to walk into church and shake hands with Reverend Alden, now back in town. Well, sir, he did just that and it did his old heart good to see his beloved town back in shape. Everybody was happy and things went back to normal. Lars Hanson died four months later, but according to Doc Baker, he died happy.

Great episode, both parts were fantastic, and talk about a swan song for Karl Swenson (1908-1978). He died a week before this episode aired, and he was terrific in it. I always liked Lars Hanson, a cantankerous old grouch with a heart of pure gold. A wonderful man. Now, he came to America 50 years prior and founded the town in 1840, but the present day was around 1881 or 1882, so what he was doing before he founded the town? Saving up for it, I guess; Seeing this for the first time, it was a truly wonderful feeling to see them all go back home. A breath of fresh air for us all. Great to see the old place again. Check it out. If not, you're doing yourself an injustice.

It's about time Mr. Oleson!!!

[rdh-36107 · 10/10 · 27 January 2021]

I loved the part when Mr. Oleson made Nellie and Willie help clean the church/schoolhouse. When Mrs. Oleson started to object he told her to shut up and he brandished the sicle in his hand. He told her "Get to work woman" and he felt good doing it. Mrs. Oleson ran to the church house to help. This scene alone earned the episode 10 stars. He should of carried the sicle around the house or grabbed it each time his family disobeyed or got nasty.

Back to life

[mitchrmp · 10/10 · 2 August 2013]

When this part of the two-part episode over, Charles and Caroline are getting ready to leave. There's excitement, but Charles is a bit upset. Surprisingly, Caroline is taking the news of leaving her first born behind very well. This has always bothered me a bit, but then we need to focus on Charles. He cries as he says goodbye to Mary. Caroline's actions are a bit disappointing.

But there's another reason Charles doesn't really want to leave. Mary isn't the only person he's leaving behind. There's a boy who's tugging at his heartstrings, and Charles uses great psychology in talking Albert to go to Walnut Grove with him. When they arrive there, it's a whole new feeling to the show. Mr. Hansen, whom we've come to love during the first four seasons of the show, is now old and dying. In fact, this is his last episode. Dr. Baker and Reverend Alden return. And there we have the core of the show for the rest of this season.

Watching the town die at the end of Season 4 was sad, and watching it come back to life gives us hope and something to look forward to. We watch the town wake up and begin to come alive as there is talk about the store opening, the church, and the school. What else does a town possibly need?