Photo: ERIC ZACHANOWICH/NETFLIX

Well, anyone who was at all familiar with the Little House story knew that our time in Independence, Kansas would only be temporary — but that doesn’t make it any less emotional to watch the Ingalls family lose everything they had worked to build and say good-bye to the group of friends who became like family. It’s pretty devastating. Personally, I’d never be able to come back from a teary-eyed child in cute braids reminding me that I lied to her about this being “forever.” I don’t know how Pa stands it, I’d be hurling myself into those river chutes. Alas, he does recover and so do all of the Ingallses, because if Little House on the Prairie is about anything it’s about the tragedy and injustice of forcing Indigenous people off their own lands… oh and also hope. It’s about both those things.

The day starts off hopeful, at least. Charles is obsessed with his growing corn stash and the whole family heads into town to take part in the Founders Day celebrations — Independence is two years old. While Mary and Laura have concocted a plan to win as many competitions as possible — three-legged race, embroidery, slingshot, an essay contest — in order to collect some prize money to help their parents pay off their debt at the General Store, they have no idea the financial situation just got more dire than a store tab. Charles gets a letter from his father, which is a big win, if a short-lived one, because the letter is to inform Charles that his tenant had a stroke. They won’t be able to make any of the mortgage payments until their son arrives to help — it could be a year or more before the Ingallses see any money from them. Charles is distraught, and once again it’s Caroline who tells her husband to get his shit together. They’ll have money from their crops, but both of them are going to need to find jobs.

Unfortunately, that plan is mostly a bust. Jemma James informs Caroline that the teaching gig for when the school starts up has already been filled, but she would be more than happy to recommend her for a job with the Judsons, once they expand their restaurant and bakery. It’s not nothing, but is very close to nothing. Charles doesn’t do much better with Jemma’s husband. Eli would be more than happy to get Charles a job as a railroad foreman, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near Independence. He’d be off in Nebraska or Colorado for at least a year, maybe two. That’s not going to work for Charles.

The only real lifeline at the moment comes courtesy of Mr. Edwards. (Of course it does.) When Charles confides in him about what’s going on, he immediately tells him about some work he’s taking on a cattle drive — he could split it with Charles. Am I crazy or does that sound like the premise to a Brokeback Mountain prequel? Is this what season two will be like? I mean, the hot, sad dads should kiss at least once! We deserve it!

Speaking of hot, sad dads: Mr. Mitchell is angsting over what he and his family should do next, as well. The Osage are set to leave Kansas in a week and while the plan was to stay behind, after the work Mitchell did translating during the treaty signing, he’s contemplating the value of continuing that work. He made a real difference. Plus, he’s worried about their safety once the rest of the Osage leave. “Starting over might be best for all of us,” he tells White Sun. And this is where husband and wife really differ because White Sun believes moving won’t be for all of them — they’d be leaving Julia behind. She can’t bear it.

There’s another woman in Independence taken aback by the man she loves. When Dr. Tann shows up again after leaving Kansas without any explanation for weeks following his confession that he’s still married, Emily has exactly no time for this man. He apologizes and tells her that he was in Philadelphia getting his wife to sign divorce papers, which she did. He wants a future with Emily. She bids good day to him. She has a life to live, okay sir??

Like so much on this show, there’s a real balance to Founders Day. It looks like a good time — yes, I would like Mr. Edwards to bring me a cone of popcorn — but everyone has some heavy life shit on their minds. There does, eventually, seem to be a lifting of spirits, though. When Mary misses her turn at the essay contest because she’s busy tending to another sad man when Caleb hears from his mother and wants to go to Cincinnati to be with her, Laura hesitantly takes her place to answer a very important question: What does Independence mean to her? She gives a rousing speech about Independence not being about self-reliance, but rather opening yourself up to a community, to being the best version of yourself you can be. The crowd is really on her side. Alas, as we know, even in the 1870s, the system is rigged by those at the top and Romanzy James gets the win. May this child wind up miserable with nothing but her ridiculous pieces of headwear to keep her company. Although, Laura gets to come off stage and have Charles Ingalls look directly into her eyes and tell her that hers was the best speech he ever heard, and honestly, that’s the real prize.

So, most people are feeling good — or, at least, emotionally stirred, when the town heads over to the big dance. Some broken hearts are repaired: Dr. Tann tells Emily that she snuck up on him; he hadn’t expected to fall in love again. It’s a much better speech than his first one and while Emily agrees to a dance and only a dance, these two are in it for the long haul. Other couples are not so lucky: Edwards and Lacey have an amicable breakup because he wants to settle down and have a family and she is honest about how that is not at all the life for her. Also having some hard but mature conversations are Mitchell and White Sun. They reminisce about meeting in school, how they fell for each other, how they had no idea what was ahead of them, and how White Sun wants that feeling of possibility back. She’s ready to go with the rest of the Osage, if Mitchell is. She knows they’ll carry Julia with them wherever they go.

It seems like maybe we’ll have a peaceful, hopeful little finale here. But then, in true Little House fashion, it all goes to shit. Charles breaks up a fight between Russell Kind and Eli James and for the first time in history, Russell has a right to be angry. He’s just learned that the Homestead Act (of 1862, which granted free distribution of public or government-owned land to private citizens) does not apply here and now that the Osage are out, the government wants payment from people living on the land here. If homesteaders don’t pay the $1.50 an acre for their land within two weeks, they’ll be evicted. We already know Eli and his railroad men were using these settlers as pawns to get the Osage out, but to learn after everything that they would be duped again, that they are so discardable, enrages Charles. Caroline hears the whole thing, too and now they know their options are even more limited than before. Charles might be forced to take that foreman job, forced to be away from his family for two years.

And that’s when they see the prairie fire. It’s strong and it’s headed straight for the town. Despite not caring what happens to Eli James, Charles leads the town in trying to suppress the fire. They begin digging a fire break, but it’s no use. This thing will destroy Independence. Suddenly, just as they decide to fall back — no one is dying for Eli’s town — the wind shifts. The fire dies down. The damage is contained. Well, the damage to Independence, anyway.

When the Ingallses return home their house is intact but their corn fields are destroyed. There’s not enough to salvage, they’ll have no crop to sell. Charles and Caroline know immediately, they can’t stay here. But Caroline doesn’t want to give up on who they became here, either. “We came here to be the best versions of ourselves and we did that. We could do it again. Let’s keep going.” The 180 Caroline Ingalls has done on the show is astounding.
Although Charles is buoyed by his wife’s faith in him, he still, understandably feels like a complete failure. Let this man stew in that for a while! But Laura won’t allow it. When she hears her father say “sometimes hope is not enough,” she knows this man needs to be reminded of who he is. She turns the speech he gave her when they first arrived about hope being “the only thing” on him. “Don’t give up on it,” she begs. “Don’t give up on us.”

And so, like the Mitchells, the Ingallses are leaving Independence. They host all of their friends for one last meal and much to Laura’s delight, everyone — the Mitchells, Emily, Dr. Tann, Caleb, Mr. Scott, Lacey — they all show up to say good-bye. Well, everyone except Mr. Edwards. Lacey tells Mary and Laura that he couldn’t bear to say good-bye to them. Sure this guy is fragile, but it seems like a terrible thing to do to these girls. Be brave, Mr. Edwards.

The next morning, the Ingallses pack up what they can, hop in their wagon and take one last, long look at their little house before they hit the road for a new patch of land. But come on, you didn’t think Mr. Edwards really wouldn’t show up one last time did you? He rides up on his horse and says the sweetest sentence you could imagine: “I thought I might join you, if you don’t mind?” He even has a place in mind that he thinks could be a good fit. His wife’s sister lives in a little town with good land and kind people. It’s called Walnut Grove. Did any Little House fans cheer at the name reveal, or was it the drawing he has of the business his sister-in-law and her husband run — Oleson’s General Store — that really got you going? And with that, Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura — and Mr. Edwards, too! — begin making their way toward Minnesota.

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