Growing Pains

In this episode, Albert and Pa are shaving at the beginning of the episode. Later on, James steals Albert's razor, takes it out to the barn, and, wanting to be more like his big brother, pretends to shave. James accidentally drops the razor and one of the animals steps on it and breaks it. Not wanting to tell Albert what he did, James steals a razor from the mercantileand gives it to Albert at home. Albert and Pa quickly figure out what James did and James gets into trouble. Feeling upset, James runs away. Cassandra finds a note that James left, runs to the schoolhouse, and tells Laura what happens. Albert catches up with James in a field. Not wanting to go home, the boys wander through the woods for the rest of the day. They find an old house and the owner lets them stay there for the night. After some time, James realizes he wants to stay with the Ingalls family and he and Albert go home

AWESOME episode! Really great. I love the boys reaction when they find out what kind of stew they are eating! I feel sorry for James because he just want some attention from his brother, and his brother doesn't like him! Albert has a mean streak in him!!! But in all fareness to Albert he did redeem himslef when he ran off with James. What a nice brother!

another good one! I don't think Albert was necessarily being mean, I think he was just so used to living with the Ingalls family and he'd forgotten what it felt like to be "new", if you could use that word. I am surprised, though, that Albert wasn't nicer because I guess you could say that Albert knew what James was going through

Carrie & Cassandra were getting along really well in this episode & Carrie had an upset look when Cassandra was crying because James ran away.

I think that Carrie was really close to Cassandra. The authors must have focused in their sisterly friendship more often.

Vanesa.

Watching this one. I can really feel for albert.I can understand how he felt. But glad they worked out the problems.

Vanesa wrote:

I think that Carrie was really close to Cassandra. The authors must have focused in their sisterly friendship more often.

Vanesa.

I totally agree....could have been like Laura and Mary if the writers had chosen to do so

ingallsfan2008 wrote:

another good one! I don't think Albert was necessarily being mean, I think he was just so used to living with the Ingalls family and he'd forgotten what it felt like to be "new", if you could use that word. I am surprised, though, that Albert wasn't nicer because I guess you could say that Albert knew what James was going through

I agree.....I think Albert wasn't being mean but more annoyed or impatient.
Good episode.

Albert should have been nicer to James. When Albert told Charles he wished James had never came to live with them, Charles told him it was a good thing Laura and Carrie didn't feel that way when he came to live with them. Charles seems to have forgotten that Laura resented the attention Charles paid to Albert in the episode, Fagin. Albert should have realized James was feeling lonely and wanted to bond with him. He must of forgotten what is was like to new in the family and it takes time getting used to living with a new family. Glad they finally bonded after running away.

I Can understand albert being annoyed with James. Tho maybe ya He could have been a little more nicer. Well maybe Albert could have made a little time to spend with him.

Charles should have built on the house so Albert and James had a seperated bedroom from Carrie and Cassandra.

Lay off Albert guys, it was Charles's fault! He was too cheap to put a room on the house. He should have plowed another 40 acres, planted some corn, and built another room on the house!
Charles always was a little on the cheap side. Everybody in Walnut Grove had a nicer house than the Ingalls. Ever notice that? They even gave Reverend Alden a nicer house...........

I happen to like the Ingalls house. It may have been small,, but it was filled with love. Yes, a new room should have been built, but they realized the house was fine the way it was.

It really wasn't big enough, but it wouldn't be "little house' on the prairie" if it grew too much. I thought if the show went on and Albert stayed with James, a small room off the kitchen would have been nice, Grace and Carrie and Cassandra could share the loft. As Caroline said, they are getting older. OR they could put a real wall between their bed and Carries and let someone sleep there. It made for better filming I guess, but no one had any privacy in that home, conversations had to be overheard all the time.

Spanky wrote:

I happen to like the Ingalls house. It may have been small,, but it was filled with love. Yes, a new room should have been built, but they realized the house was fine the way it was.

I agree. Charles always put more stock in his family than material things. Take a look at Charles's peers--the Edwards family, the Garveys--they had tiny homes too. Part of it, I think, was to show how the farmers lived versus the townsfolk.

That's true but I wouldn't want 2 teenage boys with 3 girls in a loft. Under the best conditions that could be very dangerous.

Mr. Edwards' place and the Garvey's were bigger though. They had a nice living room space and kitchen and bedrooms with doors.

Charles would have built on for his father, not expecting him to sleep outside of the home.
I did like that they showed Caroline getting a dresser from Harriet (a nice gesture from her) for Cassandra and James and having their trunk be moved to the barn. Two more children does require more space and organization.

I love this episode! Not only am I fan of Matt Labyorteaux, but of Jason Bateman as well. This episode had funny moments, as well as warn, tender ones. I actually welcomed the addition of James & Cassandra; although now that Laura had married and left the house, I would have liked to have seen more of an intereaction between Albert & Carrie. The writers made it appear as if Albert didn't even like Carrie too much (lol; that's what it seemed like, as he barely says 2 words to her). I did like that he & James were close...and in a way, I can understand why they were added to the cast. They needed someone to stand up to Nancy, and that was Cassandra! I can't imagine Carrie doing that!

This one was sooooooo Funny!

I hadn't watched this episode in so long and I liked that Albert was the one who brought James home. I don't think Albert was being mean to James, I think he was being a typical older brother and wanting some time and space away from his younger brother. This episode really showed how much Albert had grown up from the earlier seasons when he was doing goofy kid stuff and getting into trouble for it.