"CHILD OF PAIN"

I don't know if the writers would have brought back many people for a recurring role on occasion back then, but if was done today,maybe with all the instant feedback on the Internet, they might have.
I felt a cheaper, easier way was just to mention them in passing at times. "Albert, Willie and Graham were fishing", "Someone was looking at Widow Thurmon's old house since she moved back to the city", things like that.
The emphasis was on the Ingall's family though, it was a credit to the writers that we got attached to some costars and guest stars.

I just watched this again and it was a good episode. The little boy was so cute and fit in with the Ingall's while he stayed there. My daughter jokingly asked when she walked in and saw him with Caroline, "Did they adopt another child?"
This was the first show Charles helped someone with an addiction and it was fresh and well done. Later, Mr. Edward's had his issues, Albert, the father who was the horse breeder he met and so on but this one was dramatic enough without being over the top.

I wish we did see Graham again.

I liked this episode - it showed the kindness of Charles, Caroline, Laura and Mary.

But, having had my own issues with alcohol and drugs in the past, I feel that a neat, condensed happy ending within an hour is a bit unrealistic.

Of course, nowadays Graham would be taken into care immediately and his father thrown in jail for viciously beating his son. Things were different then but not the nature of addiction - no AA or other support groups, no drugs - I'm afraid he'd be back boozing within weeks.

I liked how Caroline and the girls pitched in to help Graham. I was surprised by how Charles could care less about what happened with Graham's father at the beginning. He did the right thing in helping John.

I just couldn't rewatch this episode again. This is one of my least favorite episode.

Just re-watched this one. That little Graham is as cute as a button. I looked for his name at the end: Johnny Lee. Doesn't look like he did too much as an actor and I was not able to find any current photos of him on the internet. I thought he was quite a good child actor, though. I was curious to see what he looked like when he grew up!