It\u2019s about both those things.<\/a><\/p>\nThe 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 \u2014 Independence is two years old. While Mary and Laura have concocted a plan to win as many competitions as possible \u2014 three-legged race, embroidery, slingshot, an essay contest \u2014 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\u2019t be able to make any of the mortgage payments until their son arrives to help \u2014 it could be a year or more before the Ingallses see any money from them. Charles is distraught, and once again it\u2019s Caroline who tells her husband to get his shit together. They\u2019ll have money from their crops, but both of them are going to need to find jobs.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s not nothing, but is very close to nothing. Charles doesn\u2019t do much better with Jemma\u2019s husband. Eli would be more than happy to get Charles a job as a railroad foreman, but it wouldn\u2019t be anywhere near Independence. He\u2019d be off in Nebraska or Colorado for at least a year, maybe two. That\u2019s not going to work for Charles.<\/p>\n
The only real lifeline at the moment comes courtesy of Mr. Edwards. (Of course it does.) When Charles confides in him about what\u2019s going on, he immediately tells him about some work he\u2019s taking on a cattle drive \u2014 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!<\/p>\n
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\u2019s contemplating the value of continuing that work. He made a real difference. Plus, he\u2019s worried about their safety once the rest of the Osage leave. \u201cStarting over might be best for all of us,\u201d he tells White Sun. And this is where husband and wife really differ because White Sun believes moving won\u2019t be for all of them \u2014 they\u2019d be leaving Julia behind. She can\u2019t bear it.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s 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\u2019s 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??<\/p>\n
Like so much on this show, there\u2019s a real balance to Founders Day. It looks like a good time \u2014 yes, I would like Mr. Edwards to bring me a cone of popcorn \u2014 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\u2019s 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\u2019s the real prize.<\/p>\n
So, most people are feeling good \u2014 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\u2019t expected to fall in love again. It\u2019s 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\u2019s ready to go with the rest of the Osage, if Mitchell is. She knows they\u2019ll carry Julia with them wherever they go.<\/p>\n
It seems like maybe we\u2019ll 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\u2019s 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\u2019t pay the $1.50 an acre for their land within two weeks, they\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s when they see the prairie fire. It\u2019s strong and it\u2019s 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\u2019s no use. This thing will destroy Independence. Suddenly, just as they decide to fall back \u2014 no one is dying for Eli\u2019s town \u2014 the wind shifts. The fire dies down. The damage is contained. Well, the damage to Independence, anyway.<\/p>\n
When the Ingallses return home their house is intact but their corn fields are destroyed. There\u2019s not enough to salvage, they\u2019ll have no crop to sell. Charles and Caroline know immediately, they can\u2019t stay here. But Caroline doesn\u2019t want to give up on who they became here, either. \u201cWe came here to be the best versions of ourselves and we did that. We could do it again. Let\u2019s keep going.\u201d The 180 Caroline Ingalls has done on the show is astounding.
Although Charles is buoyed by his wife\u2019s faith in him, he still, understandably feels like a complete failure. Let this man stew in that for a while! But Laura won\u2019t allow it. When she hears her father say \u201csometimes hope is not enough,\u201d 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 \u201cthe only thing\u201d on him. \u201cDon\u2019t give up on it,\u201d she begs. \u201cDon\u2019t give up on us.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so, like the Mitchells, the Ingallses are leaving Independence. They host all of their friends for one last meal and much to Laura\u2019s delight, everyone \u2014 the Mitchells, Emily, Dr. Tann, Caleb, Mr. Scott, Lacey \u2014 they all show up to say good-bye. Well, everyone except Mr. Edwards. Lacey tells Mary and Laura that he couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t think Mr. Edwards really wouldn\u2019t show up one last time did you? He rides up on his horse and says the sweetest sentence you could imagine: \u201cI thought I might join you, if you don\u2019t mind?\u201d He even has a place in mind that he thinks could be a good fit. His wife\u2019s sister lives in a little town with good land and kind people. It\u2019s 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 \u2014 Oleson\u2019s General Store \u2014 that really got you going? And with that, Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura \u2014 and Mr. Edwards, too! \u2014 begin making their way toward Minnesota.<\/p>\n
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