Family Tree

That is so odd, why cut out scenes for no particular reason? I can see in questionable movies where they think it's stretching an R rating, things like that, but these scenes were his best work.
They did have them once didn't they? I remember them, or am I just remembering the original show? I remember waiting for that part and not seeing it last time I watched it.

It's absolutely inexcusable that they cut out these scenes from the American DVDs. I feel cheated.

I watched this episode this morning, after not seeing it for awhile. It's such a sad episode, but so happy at the ending too. I can't believe that scenes were cut from it!

Pretty frustrating having to watch it in German......

I just made a HUGE mistake and went over to the imdb board just to lurk. I occasionally go over there to see if things have changed a little, and of course, it hasn't. Anyway, there's someone over there named sparky182 and he/she posts episode reviews every week. Now he/she posted his/her review of "Family Tree." All I'm going to say is, that review had me fuming! To belittle such a fabulous episode is beyond me!

This was a great episode... I didn't realize that Albert wasn't adopted yet until this episode. I guess I just assumed that they had adopted him somewhere not long after he came to Walnut Grove to live with them. There were a lot of really funny moments with the Olesons, and especially Harriet! I love the scene when Charles is at the mercantile talking to Nels and Harriet starts screaming and a ton of water is flooding down the stairs!!!

But I loved the ending the most... how Albert thought up the idea of testing how much his real father loved him by playing blind. If his father truly loved him he wouldn't have let blindness get in the way of his love, and he would have been overjoyed to see him and take him home. But instead he only wanted to work Albert and when he thought that Albert was blind he wanted to get rid of him quickly. The ending scene when Charles comes into the room where Albert was is one of the best. Albert turns and looks at him and says "I guess you are stuck with me... Pa" and then Charles smiles and says "I guess I am son". Then Albert runs over to Charles and hugs him. What a great ending!

Two of my favorite scenes of all time........What a story!

I know, a great episode... I really wish they didn't cut the Laura/Albert scene. I can't wait to start getting the remastered DVDs so I can have all of the cut scenes. Albert had some excellent acting in this episode.

Albert had excellent acting in every episode. He's amazing. To this day, he still blows me away!

Yes he did......He and Melissa had some great scenes together.....Some of the best writing came into play when Caroline or Charles had conversations with those kids.....

Right, he did in every episode. So did Laura... I too love the scenes with Laura and Albert... They worked really well together. Both he and Laura were great in the scene where Nellie is making fun of Albert for "not" having a family.

There should've been a follow-up scene between Albert & Simon at school the second day . If whippings were, in fact, much more common in those days (which I'm not convinced of) things might not have been too awkward between them, but Albert still probably should've apologized for getting Simon in trouble, and over-reacting to what Simon said.  And maybe Albert should've tried, in subtle ways, to make it up to Simon. What do other think?

whitelighter wrote:

There should've been a follow-up scene between Albert & Simon at school the second day . If whippings were, in fact, much more common in those days (which I'm not convinced of) things might not  have been too awkward between them, but Albert still probably should've apologized for getting Simon in trouble, and over-reacting to what Simon said.  And maybe Albert should've tried, in subtle ways, to make it up to Simon. What do other think?

I really don't share your opinion about Albert apologizing to Simon. He certainly didn't force him to go fishing. Albert reacted to being called a bas#$%^ because of the pressure he felt with the family tree thing. Knowing he had to do that project, with all of the heckling he took from the other kids per his conversation in the loft with Charles, simply put him over the top. It was obvious he was hurting inside, and when Simon called him that, he reacted. And I can't much blame him. I don't think he had anything to make up to Simon. Quite frankly, a follow up scene with Simon apologizing to Albert would have been appropriate in my mind.

The dream scenes of Albert having the nightmares, fully demonstrated what kind of stress he was going through. And when you watch that, you have to ask yourself just how much was he suppose to put up with.

You may not be convinced that whippings were common, but they were absolutely were, right up until the 1960's. The teachers in my high school regularly administered corporal punishment on a daily basis, with the full blessings of the parents. That's just the way it was. I'm sure that if you talked to a lot of people in my age bracket, they would confirm that for you. And there were several indications of it in Little House. Nels taking the belt upstairs, Charles telling Peter in "The Stranger" that he was going to spank his bottom. Jonathon taking Andy to the barn in "The Cheaters". James getting whipped in "The Lost Ones". If you disobeyed your parents back then, it wasn't complicated, you simply got punished. Plain and simple.

I do share your opinion about an extra scene. I wish that instead of a long shot at the end, they would have showed Albert and Laura being reunited when Albert came home from being adopted. That would have been a nice ending......Lord knows, they both cried enough when they thought they were losing each other.

I liked how Albert used his smart mind to fake being blind so he wouldn't have to go live with his real father. I'm surprised Mr. Quinn didn't ask Charles why Albert's "blindness" wasn't mentioned when he came to get Albert.

Davetucson wrote:

I wish that instead of a long shot at the end, they would have showed Albert and Laura being reunited when Albert came home from being adopted. That would have been a nice ending......Lord knows, they both cried enough when they thought they were losing each other.  

I totally agree Dave... that would have been perfect! I wonder why they didn't have that as the ending instead of Laura narrating with the picture at a distance.

Davetucson wrote:

whitelighter wrote:

Quite frankly, a follow up scene with Simon apologizing to Albert would have been appropriate in my mind.

You mean in addition to the apology Simon already gave?: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It won't happen again. I promise."

I don't quite follow your reasoning but you're entitled to your opinon.[/quote]

whitelighter wrote:

Davetucson wrote:

whitelighter wrote:

Quite frankly, a follow up scene with Simon apologizing to Albert would have been appropriate in my mind.

You mean in addition to the apology Simon already gave?: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It won't happen again. I promise."

I don't quite follow your reasoning but you're entitled to your opinon.

We have a disagreement on exactly who was wronged, but then again, we aren't discussing world hunger.......And you are certainly entitled to your opinion also.......I am always impressed by someone who analyzes scenes................ and for that, I applaud you.

I was just thinking about the episode. I am wondering if Albert's mother had died and someone else had taken Albert to the orphanage or what ever happened to his mother.

According to records found in the 1900's, Albert's Mother died of heartbreak several years after Jeremy Quinn took Albert to an orphanage in Pierre, South Dakota......Albert had One Brother, Jason. He was 16 years old when Albert was born. Albert was about one year old, when Jeremy, due to hard times, took him away to give him up to the orphanage.

Jason, who idolized his little brother, left home in a desperate attempt to get Albert out of the orphanage and return him to Olney. Unfortunately, one of the worst Blizzards of the century occurred while Jason was travelling to Pierre. He was never heard from again. One can only guess how the course of history would have been changed if Jason would have lived.

Davetucson wrote:

I really don't share your opinion about Albert apologizing to Simon. He certainly didn't force him to go fishing. Albert reacted to being called a bas#$%^ because of the pressure he felt with the family tree thing. Knowing he had to do that project, with all of the heckling he took from the other kids per his conversation in the loft with Charles, simply put him over the top. It was obvious he was hurting inside, and when Simon called him that, he reacted. And I can't much blame him. I don't think he had anything to make up to Simon. Quite frankly, a follow up scene with Simon apologizing to Albert would have been appropriate in my mind.

But Albert's anger was directed at all the kids, not Simon specifically. By the time the fight in the pond it was winding down, it was clear that Simon hadn't used the term in derogatorily. Albert's pent-up anger may have been justified; taking it out on Simon was not.

Simon apologized to Albert at the pond so I see no reason for another apology from him, especially after paying dearly for his actions with a severe whipping to boot. Yes, Simon should've listened to his Pa, but I still think Albert should've felt a little bad for the role he played in Simon getting in trouble, especially after realizing Simon hand't mean to insult him.

I watched this on COZI-TV and they have so many commercials that I believe something significant was cut out.....how did Albert know his biological dad only wanted to use him as a farmhand???

I thought maybe Albert would beg Simon's dad to stop whipping Simon, based on the flashback Albert was having.

I am curious as to how or why Albert ended up in that orphanage. I also think that an episode which contrasted the apparently hypocritical so-called religious aspect of that orphanage with the sincere Christian faith of Revd. Alden would have been interesting. I could see Albert not even wanting to go to church with the Ingalls family if he had been so mistreated by someone in the name of religion as he apparently was in that orphanage, with the man talking about cleansing his soul as they almost seem to try to drown Albert in the water!