"THE ELECTION"

[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]


When it comes time to elect a new classroom president, Mary and Nellie are first to compete for the position. To even things out a bit, the boys strategically elect a shy, mentally delayed classmate named Elmer Dopkins. The trouble is, Elmer's overprotective father is fully aware of the boys' ulterior motives, but how far can a parent go to protect their bullied child?


I feel so bad for Elmer. He is such a sweet kid! This episode centers around bullying. You would think that in a place like Walnut Grove, a kid would not have problems in school... but no matter the place, sometimes there is always someone there to cause trouble.

I read an article today how bulling affects the parents and so I can see how this situation is stressing out Elmer's dad as well. He doesn't really know how to handle it, he just doesn't want his son to suffer. What a way for Elmer to stand out in the end though. I thought Mary Ingalls was a a little over dramatic with the tears falling down her face, hahaha... but like Mary... I knew who deserved to be the class president. Loved how Willie didn't vote for his sister! Nellie was so sure that she was going to win! ha! Great episode!



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(ingallsfan2008 said....)

I watched this episode the other day, and it's one of my favorites involving a character who was only in one episode! I think Elmer's character is inspiring, especially after the speech he gives at school, after the two older boys push him into the mud. definitley a happy ending to this one!

strange - Carl & Alicia, Ginny, Joseph (aka Spotted Eagle) and Anna are nowhere to be seen in this episode.
Maybe they were all expelled.

good esp.shows how mean kids are & how we should stick up for ourself.

In this episode we see two of Michael Landon's kids

this is a good episode. I love Elmer's speech. I was tease in school. But, didn't got worse like those boys bullying Elmer. a great episode to watch, if you have been bullied or your the bully. Need to learn your lesson, not to bully other people. Even if, they have learn disabilities.

Carol wrote:

In this episode we see two of Michael Landon's kids

Yes... Michael Landon Jnr. really looks like him!!!!

I saw Leslie acting as one of the big girls in school.I knew it was her so I never bothered reading the credits

Buttercup wrote:

this is a good episode. I love Elmer's speech. I was tease in school. But, didn't got worse like those boys bullying Elmer. a great episode to watch, if you have been bullied or your the bully. Need to learn your lesson, not to bully other people. Even if, they have learn disabilities.

Agrees/

I liked this one.....felt bad for poor Elmer

I liked this show, knew people like Elmer, was teased at times myself. His speech could be repeated in many classrooms and it's a shame more endings couldn't be as nice as this one.

Nice Pictures!!!

Thse pictures are really NEW for me!

Vanesa.

I watched this episode today, because I thought it was appropriate after our recent presidential election, but I still think I will always find it sad. Elmer was a great young boy, it was just so unfortunate that only a few people realized that. He had many talents, including helping the injured animals, that others wouldn't have noticed if they had even seen it right in front of their faces.

Though I did find it funny that something Charles said during the episode, that had to do with Nellie's 'campaigning,' is still relevant to elections today. I don't remember his exact words, but it was something similar to "ploiticians will say whatever they can think of to get you to vote for them, even if it isn't true"

I wish we had seen Elmer in more episodes than just this one!

I thought the kid who played Elmer did a great job. I started wondering, though, why all the episodes featuring a new kid only have one kid in the family. I guess it cost too much to hire more child actors to play the brothers and sisters.

I only caught about the last 35-40 minutes of this episode today on COZI-TV but I was in tears over it. Elmer was so sweet, and his parents loved him so much. Sadly, I was someone who mistreated another girl in my class in 6th grade who was overweight and also I think sort of a slower learner. I so regret it now. I think I did it believing that it would help me to be more popular or something. If I knew a way to contact that girl now, I would like to apologize and ask her forgiveness. Anyway, I loved Elmer's speech at the end. But how come his dad didn't ask him why he was smelling like pig slop and had muck on his face? Seems like he could at least have washed his face at the school.