"The Rivals"

What I can't figure out about this episode is how they came up with the title. I suppose there was a slight rivalry between Laura and that big burly girl over Jimmy, but I don't think this was the main theme of the episode. Perhaps it had something to do with the sub-plot involving Charles & Jonathon, but to be honest, I skipped through most of that because it seemed like they were just using that to fill in time. Most of the episode titles they came up with were clever, but I think they probably could have thought of a better one for this episode.

I can't think of another title they would have used for this episode though.

The episode centers around the feelings of Laura and Caroline.
Laura likes this boy and is having to deal with this new girl 'Sam' who seems to be like a "rival" for her because Jimmy makes nice comments about her.

Caroline has to deal with Charles going off to work and since he's told her that they can make a lot of money doing that... Caroline begins to feel worried that... that kind of lifestyle will take Charles away from her... so that "new job" was the rival for Caroline. In the end when Charles returns home he assures her that Caroline did not have a single thing to worry about.... and well, neither did Laura as she got her first kiss.

I agree, Carol. It was a rival between Laura and Sam, and a rival between Caroline and Charles' freighting business.

The name fits the esp i think!!

It's funny how laura stuffes herself with apples.Hey least this dude was better then johnny J.

I think it had the right title.

I watched this with my daughter yesterday, she never saw it before, and she commented she thought for the time, the overalls on a the girl Sam at school seemed out of place..even tomboys wore dresses. (not a history nut like her but I suppose it was odd)

I thought it was okay, not a "want to see it again" episode. Charles and Jonathan seemed enamored by the money involved and then saw the light at the end of what it would mean to their families. I thought leaving Caroline for months at a time seemed a bit much but then I realized when Charles was talking at the end, he planned on moving them to the city a bigger home etc. so it was more the lifestyle not the time away.

I thought the talk between Nellie and Laura was interesting, their first real conversation about something and I liked how Luke was brought up again, so many past characters, no matter how important, aren't. They also brought up John Jr, when Laura was asking Mary about kissing and her face and non-answer said more than words.,

Laura's infatuation seemed so unlikable to me but crush's don't always make sense.

I know that some girls liked to wear boys clothes ; they wre not simple tomboy, as Laura could have been , but have some ideas about they liking to be like boys...However, I seriously doubt that wearing this kind of clothes were allowed in a school, and the family of these girls could have objected them wearing overalls or trousers in public...

Vanesa.