| "Going Home" | |
| Season 2, Episode 22 #46 overall in Series | |
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| Series: | Little House on the Prairie |
| Original air date | March 31, 1976 |
| Production code | 2021 |
| Episode Guide | |
 IMDb
|
Going Home |
| Written by | Michael Landon |
| Directed by | Michael Landon |
| Episode Chronology | |
| Previous episode: "Soldier's Return" |
Next episode: "The Collection" (Season 3 Premiere) |
His crops and farm lie in ruin, thanks to a devastating tornado that sweeps through Hero Township. A despondent Charles sees no opportunity ahead, so he decides to move his family back home to their old house in the woods in Wisconsin and sells his farm.
Meanwhile, Mary and John worry about their blossoming relationship which ends up in Mary's first kiss and talking about marriage. A crushed Laura prays for Charles to have strength, a prayer that is answered in the form of the previous owners of the farm who want to buy back their old farm.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls
- Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls
- Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls
- Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls
- Lindsay Greenbush / Sidney Greenbush as Carrie Ingalls
Supporting Cast[]
- Barney as Jack
- Dabbs Greer as Reverend Robert Alden
- Karl Swenson as Lars Hanson
- Victor French as Isaiah Edwards
Guest Stars[]
- Bonnie Bartlett as Grace Snider Edwards
- Radames Pera as John Sanderson Edwards
- Brian Part as Carl Sanderson Edwards
- Kyle Richards as Alicia Sanderson Edwards
- E.J. André as Matthew Simms
- Lurene Tuttle as Anna Simms
Trivia[]
- A tornado impacted the Ingalls family in this episode. Laura would come close to being killed by a tornado a second time in Season 8's Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow, Part 2.?
- Mary and John Jr express their romantic feelings in this episode, when the character of Mary is only 13 years old. In a 2006 interview, Melissa Sue Anderson stated that she "couldn't really get into the idea of being in love at such a young age," and that actor Ramades Pera (John, Jr.) was "more interested in making our scenes work than I was."?
- In this episode, Laura turns to the devout Reverend Alden for support with her family's troubles. In Season 1's The Lord is My Shepherd, Part 1 Laura had a similar heart-to-heart with the Reverend after her baby brother died--although in that episode, she didn't tell the Reverend exactly what she was upset about.?
- Charles Ingalls displays a rare, defeated attitude in this episode, in which he's ready to just "chuck it all" and leave Walnut Grove. It seems uncharacteristic of him, until you realize that in very recent episodes his crop had failed to sell (The Long Road Home), and his property taxes were doubled (Centennial). The tornado in this episode, and the damage it causes, seems to understandably push him over the edge.?
External links[]
| Previous episode: | Next episode: |
| Soldier's Return | The Collection |