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More than four decades after the initial series ended its nine-season run on NBC, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved semi-autobiographical novels have been adapted to television once again. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine
and executive produced by Trip Friendly, son of original series producer Ed Friendly, Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” is part family drama, part adventure tale. The story follows the Ingalls family in the shadow of the American Civil War, determined to make a new life and place for themselves in a country still figuring out what it wants to be. Though the show is slightly slow at the start, the childlike whimsy and robust themes are as resounding today as they were 150 years ago.
The series begins with 8-year-old Laura (a wonderfully cast Alice Halsey) as she reflects on her family’s massive quest to the West. Her family consists of her mother, Caroline (Crosby Fitzgerald), her father, Charles (Luke Bracey), and her older sister, Mary (Skywalker Hughes). Having left their farm and loved ones behind, Laura describes the Ingalls’ near 800-mile journey West as one rife with excitement and new delights. However, as the foursome nears their stopping point in Independence, Kansas, things take a dangerous turn. A chaotic, life-threatening river crossing immediately showcases how physically dangerous treks like these could be.
While “Little House” boasts a simpler narrative than 21st-century audiences are used to, the show’s tranquil tone allows the pragmatic plot points to flourish. Two of the most significant themes in the series are patriarchy and its effects on community, and the power of sisterhood. Charles’ dreams and desires directly affect the well-being of Caroline and his daughters. Leaving everything they knew and loved behind in Big Woods, Wisconsin, the Ingalls embark westward full of hope and very few resources, and along the way, the family encounters some helping hands. Yet, money problems, sinister people and devastating setbacks also mar their experience. Charles is a modern man for the times, one who dotes on his wife and children. Yet, Caroline, Mary and Laura have no real input into the direction of their lives. Scenes depicting Charles building the family’s new home, a robbery and even an expected pregnancy illustrate all of this.
Still, one of the most textured and significant components of the show is the sisterhood between Laura and Mary. From the outset, it’s clear Laura and Mary are very different. Strong-willed and fearless, Laura has no qualms about asking questions and walking to the beat of her own drum. She finds school lessons horribly boring and would much rather be outside than doing housework with Mary and her mother. Like her Pa, she is bold and unafraid, often waving to strangers, including Indigenous people, despite Caroline’s fears. Mary, in contrast, is no fan of the wilderness. Quiet and thoughtful, she would rather spend time sewing and helping her mother than sauntering through the tall prairie grasses with her sister. Labeled the responsible one, she feels the weight of her parents’ worries and her sister’s terrifying fearlessness.
In Episode 6, “Peace on Earth,” the Ingalls spend their first Christmas snowed in alone in Independence. With Caroline resting in the final days of her pregnancy, and still reeling from a fight she and Laura had, it’s up to Mary to make sure her little sister has a Christmas to remember. The episode beautifully addresses the burdens that typically come with being the eldest daughter.
“Little House on the Prairie” opens just after the violence and terror of the Civil War. It depicts a country still in its infancy and folks trying to figure out who they are in the world. Racism, prejudices and distrust between the settlers and the Osage tribe, as well as the white settlers and Black people in the town, are prominent in the series, though perhaps a much more sanitized depiction than in reality. Dr. Tann (Jocko Sims) — based on a real-life Black doctor who saves the Ingalls’ lives, is the only physician for miles — was born free in Philadelphia, and showcases a rarely seen aspect of the Black American experience at the time.
Moreover, the series addresses the predatory nature of the government against the Indigenous and how it permanently devastated generations of people who once lived and thrived on the land. The show also depicts how the railroad set a precedent for other big businesses to lure in naive citizens seeking their own slice of the American dream.
Overall, for those who loved the original show and books, and for viewers being introduced to the Ingalls for the first time, “Little House” illustrates the beauty of community, the horrors of encroachment and displacement, and the cost of being an American. For those who know Wilder’s books, you know that Independence, Kansas is just the beginning of a massive adventure. The Ingalls are already set to return for Season 2 on Netflix.
“Little House on the Prairie” is now streaming on Netflix.
