"BLIZZARD"

[Note from Carol regarding Editing]
Since I do the Episode Reviews, I have been given acces in the Episode Reviews forum to edit, move posts so that all posts regarding an episode stay together. If I post an episode review that has some post already started.... instead of me using the quotes feature... I will just edit the first post of whoever started the thread about that episode to include the pictures of the episodes at the top of the thread. That way, all comments and posts remain in their original form. [End of Carol's Note]



The day before Christmas vacation started, Miss Beadle lets the children out early when she notices that a snowstorm is beginning. The children aren't able to make it home before the storm starts. The men of Walnut Grove search for the children while Doc Baker takes care of the frostbitten children that show up at the school.



Blizzard is a really sad episode. I felt so bad for Ms. Beadle. First the women come in and ask her about the kids... and then Charles & Mr. Edwards... she felt like she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.... Everyone was just on pins and needles... the parents holding their breath till they saw their kids walk through the door.
I thought it was so sweet of Willie to tell Ms. Beadle that it was not her fault...



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(starmonkey said....)

They're showing this episode on Hallmark now. In the beginning Charles and Mr. Edwards are at the train station..no coat on..like it's a spring day. Now if a huge snowstorm was on it's way..wouldn't it be more colder out??

You would think so! LOL!

Exactly...blizzards may come quite unpredictabily. It must be even hot little time before they starts. My father, who grew up in a blizzard territory can tell...It was awful. But he said that the more awful of all things is the sound of the wind. It can make a man crazy...

Vanesa.

There's a blizzard on record, commonly referred to as "The Children's Blizzard", which happened on the Dakota-Nebraska prairie in 1888. It says the day started out unseasonably warm and many children walked to school without coats and gloves. But that afternoon, with no warning, temperatures plunged and a blizzard ripped through the area. By the next morning, over 500 people had died, many children on their way home from school.

I asked Susan McCray if the LHOP episode "Blizzard" was based upon this event, but she didn't know. She did, however, tell me that Michael often used historical events for his scripts.

How sad about "The Children's Blizzard"!! It's true about the blizzards coming so quickly with no warnings and many aren't prepared. :Blizzard: Those poor babies!!

I think the DVD bonus video on the other thread said that the episode was based on "The Children's Blizzard," but Michael chose to have it happen on Christmas Eve.

The most awful of the story is when this poor boy's father died when he was looking for him. So sad...no relief possible at the end of the episode after it...I was heartbroken the rest of the day the first time I saw it...

Vanesa.

:DittoS:

i lived in MN this is true.. it was june in 01
summer time that night it snowed got about 2''
so yes it can happen... remember the storm was coming from
international falls near thief river

Well. But in her book "The Long Winter" she wrote about several blizzards and how one caught her at school and she and her classmates were almost lost in the snow.

Vanesa.

See First Post Above

Hello!

How far is Plum Creek supposed to be away from Walnut Grove? It seemed further than usual! :unsure:

Quote :

How far is Plum Creek supposed to be away from Walnut Grove?

According to the TV show, just a few miles (about three miles I think). Not sure how far it is in reality, however.

Thanks very much! It doesn't normally look so far away, but in the episode "Blizzard" it looked very far away!

Such sad episode & my favorite.

It must of ben so cold with them clothes and thin jackets the adults/children had on. BRRRRRRRR. Glad it turns out okay in the end.

I liked this episode ......it shows how harsh the winter could be and how fast a storm could come

When I watch shows like this I not only appreciate the warnings we have now that are "sometimes" better than years ago, but communication. I remember thinking cell phones would become toys and many have, but not knowing if someone is home, not knowing if your husband found your child or pet while you're looking, is not something many people deal with now, you just call. Can you imagine Laura not being home after visiting someone or fishing, storms coming,Pa goes out to look, she comes home and Ma can't tell him not to spend an hour or longer looking.
It was like that for most of my life, but now it seems so scary. You can't rely too much on it, but communication was hard then.

One thing I noticed in this episode I felt I should mention. Giving alcohol to hypothermic patients was common practice in the 1800's, but doctors now know this is dangerous. All it does is fool the body into thinking it's warm, and it could start pumping cold blood from the extremities back to the heart, which could shock the heart muscles and lead to cardiac arrest.

Hopefully none of you will find yourself in that situation; I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you do.

Willie was so cute in this episode. That was sweet to tell Miss Beadle that it wasn't her fault. This was one of my favorite episodes