Bless All the Dear Children

kermitfan wrote:

I didn't think "a breather" would be used in Middle Earth.

Haha, off topic, but I remember thinking that too! It sounded so...colloquial coming from an ork.

I just watched this episode again last night and I can't tell you how much I can't stand it. I keep thinking if I watch it more, I'll like better. Not happening.

They live in Minnesota, but everyone is walking around with their shirt sleeves rolled up and no coats right before Christmas. Isaiah, who had turned his life around since returning to Walnut Grove, gets into a fight so Almanzo has to leave Rose to save him, allowing his daughter to be kidnapped. I don't think Isaiah ever apologizes to them for what happened. When there is an opportunity toward the end for Isaiah and Laura to spend a few moments alone together, instead of having Isaiah apologize to Laura, they talk about the odd miracle of being led to Samuel because of a bright star. Harriet is well enough to send Nancy presents, but not well enough to come home. Willie and Rachel are talked about, but not seen. And Melissa is wearing way too much makeup.

There were so few Christmas episodes. I wish the last one was more special.

Being a family show, I was surprised the few Xmas shows they had...most were depressing. I know they would have been very popular..who cares if the plot had to be happy...for Xmas, that would have been fine. : )

Too late now, but it would have a been a great idea for a special 5 years later or so.

I watched it on gmc a week or two ago. Cheryl, I think it is odd too that everyone has there sleeve rolled up. Even if I were a warm winter, it wouldn't be 80+ degrees. Plus when the kids come out of school at the beginning, there are flowers on the bush by the steps.

littlehouselover wrote:

Being a family show, I was surprised the few Xmas shows they had...most were depressing.

That's an interesting point of view. It seems to have been tilted more that way. The Christmas in the pilot was nice and sweet, but in their first Christmas on Plum Creek Laura sells Bunny to buy Ma a stove, and the next one there's a blizzard which leaves one man dead. We don't have another Christmas episode until season 8, which is all the family together, and then this last one that ran after the series was over where Rose was kidnapped and the Carters were worried what kind of Christmas they would have since Almanzo has all their money.

I guess knowing that Laura gets Bunny back later helps to negate the bad feelings there, but the blizzard one there is no rescuing. I always liked when they created shows that displayed the rough conditions pioneers had to survive, but I would have preferred the blizzard not being centered around Christmas. I always thought it would have been great for them to play out on a small scale, the story of The Long Winter.

I agree and I remember the "giving tree" at church and getting packages for presents, magazines, etc.in the books. That would have made a nice 90 minute special, just centering on the Long Winter and how they survived.

I also think a nice, cheesy Christmas show to have yearly, that wasn't sad at all, would be nice...maybe a slight detour, maybe something wouldn't happen, but then it does.

I thought the blizzard Xmas show was the worst, just angst the whole time, who will die, who will almost die, you knew the Ingall's would survive.


I also find it funny that he told Karen Grassle, he didn't want it to be "too rough", the pioneering, but he made the plots of many shows that way, dieing, drugs, alcohol, and other calamities. I think a little rougher living and happier shows might have been a better balance.

I usually watch it at Christmas time, but this year, I decided not to. I watched Christmas At Plumb Creek, Blizzard and A Christmas They Never Forgot.

I watched this again this year! They should have made a better christmas movie.I still not keen on it...Yeah i thought it was very cold in that state

My favorite LH Christmas episode is from the Pilot Movie.....it stuck more closely to the books and was so cute.....

That was my favorite Little House Christmas episode too, for the same reason.

This discussion about Christmas episodes got me to thinking and I posted my opinions at my blog. You can feel free to check it out at http://lauralittlehouseontheprairie.blogspot.com/2013/01/depressing-lhop-christmas-episodes.html

Nice blog, I tend to agree. The first, the movie, was the best. The second, I felt was good, the excitement, but the idea of Mr. Oleson dealing with a 7 year old without her parents permission, seemed a little odd. I know I would have been upset if my child did that, not that she cared so much, but that a seemingly nice man, did that deal with a child for his bratty one. : )

I loved the movie so much, years ago, I bought my girls the tin cups and peppermint stick/penny set a LHOP site sold. They still have one cup on a shelf in their room.

I watch this yesterday. It was okay. I like the pilot better, since close to the book.

Just watched this episode, I thought it was very nice. The narration in the beginning explained about how it was unusually warm for that time of year, so them walking around in such light clothing didn't surprise me at all. I loved the part where Nancy didn't want to go out to the forest to find a tree, so instead she cut the tree down that was right by the Mercantile - and it fell into the window... on top of Nels!

I also really enjoyed the ending where Laura and Almanzo found Rose... and where that family decided to adopt the orphan boy! What a beautiful ending to the episode!

Does anyone know why this film was the last to be aired?

MankatoJoe wrote:

Does anyone know why this film was the last to be aired?

No particular reason other than the fact that the show had been cancelled......

I think it's the weakest of the three movies by far, didn't really enjoy it.

MankatoJoe wrote:

Does anyone know why this film was the last to be aired?

Interesting... I always thought that The Last Farewell was the last to be aired. But I just checked my DVD set and you are correct. I wonder why they did The Last Farewell before Bless all the Dear Children?

I understand that it's a Christmas edition, but I wonder why they didn't show it at Christmas 1983 instead of 1984.

That would have made more sense to me... Just seems so strange to show it after The Last Farewell... oh well..

Right, I figured it had to have been shot before The Last Farewell, otherwise they wouldn't have had a town to film it in! Thanks for that info Dave!

My true entertainment channel is showing all 3 movies back-to-back next Saturday, ending with Bless All The Dear Children.

So I'm recording them all - will be much better quality than Youtube.

I've decided to binge-watch 1 to 7pm whilst recording.

They're starting with The Final Farewell, then Look Back To Yesterday, ending with Bless All The Dear Children.

I've got Nachos and lemonade!

Finally getting round to watching Bless All The Dear Children this evening (I'm off sick this week).

I did watch the other 2 and recorded all 3 so I will see if I can enjoy this movie at least a little bit. Still can't get over the idea of Christmas in June in Tuscon. A bit like here when it's broad daylight at 10pm in the middle of Summer yet only 48/50 degrees fahrenheit.