| "Quarantine" | |
| Season 3, Episode 13 #59 overall in Series | |
 | |
| Series: | Little House on the Prairie |
| Network/Country: | NBC |
| Original air date | January 17, 1977 |
| Production code | 3015 |
| Episode Guide | |
 IMDb
|
Quarantine |
| Written by | John Hawkins |
| Directed by | Victor French |
| Episode Chronology | |
| Previous episode: "I'll Ride the Wind" |
Next episode: "Little Women" |
"Quarantine" is the 13th episode of the third season of Little House On the Prairie.
The episode centers on the relationship between Laura and her friends, Mr. Edwards and his daughter, Alicia, after Alicia becomes ill with a life-threatening illness, an exhausted Mr. Edwards, who was badly ill himself with the same illness, risking his health to care for his daughter, and Laura – who initially had made Edwards furious because she visited during quarantine – stepping in to nurse both back to health.
Plot[]
Mr. Edwards and Dr. Baker travel to nearby Elmsville to assist in managing and containing a deadly outbreak of mountain fever, an illness that was similar to one that killed Edwards' first wife and young daughter. Meanwhile, Mr. Hanson receives a telegram from Elmsville about their situation and that Dr. Baker was ordering the entire town of Walnut Grove to be placed under quarantine.
Edwards returns as, unknown to him, a carrier of the mountain fever strain, having come in contact with an infected carrier; it turned out he did not have immunity as Dr. Baker had thought. His worst nightmare comes true when he unknowingly passes the illness on to his beloved daughter, Alicia.
When Alicia develops a very high fever and complains of severe aches and pains, Mr. Edwards – knowing this was what happened years earlier – quarantines himself as he tries desperately to help his daughter, and adamantly refuses Grace's help in nursing Alicia until Dr. Baker returns to Hero Township. Laura, not fully understanding what the word "quarantine" means, brings some raspberries to the back door of Mr. Edwards' cabin and hears Alicia's cries tries to help her, and she goes in to help.
Then Mr. Edwards walks in ... and he immediately blows his stack. He is extremely furious with Laura, as he presumed she knew exactly what quarantine meant, and he tells her never to come back. Laura runs away in tears, feeling betrayed by her lifelong friend.
Later, Laura wakes up with red spots on her skin and fears she must have caught the mountain fever strain from Alicia. She runs to Mr. Edwards cabin and this time, she willingly quarantines herself. Mr. Edwards is still extremely angry at Laura, but it becomes quickly clear that he had not slept for days, and he too may be falling ill. Laura steps in and becomes nurse to both Mr. Edwads and Alicia. Meanwhile, Charles realizes Laura is at Mr. Edwards' cabin and rushes to Elmsville to get Dr. Baker; he successfully pleads with the townspeople to allow the good doctor to return home and care for someone who really needs it.
In the end, Dr. Baker arrives just as Alicia's fever breaks and a completely exhausted Mr. Edwards is finally getting the sleep he desperately needs. When Mr. Edwards awakens many hours later, he realizes that Laura had done so much to nurse Alicia – and him – during their time of need. He offers a deep, emotional apology to Laura and is sincerely grateful for her selflessness.
As for those spots Laura had? Just a bad rash; when she was gathering raspberries ... she got into a patch of poison ivy, and that meant she was immune all along! The quarantine is lifted, and word has it the people of Elmsville were able to finally contain their strain and although there were many deaths, many others survived.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls
- Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls
- Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls
- Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls
- Lindsay Greenbush / Sidney Greenbush as Carrie Ingalls
Supporting Cast[]
- Barney as Jack
- Alison Arngrim as Nellie Oleson
- Jonathan Gilbert as Willie Oleson
- Kevin Hagen as Dr, Hiram Baker
- Charlotte Stewart as Eva Beadle
- Karl Swenson as Lars Hanson
- Victor French as Isaiah Edwards
- Bonnie Bartlett as Grace Snider Edwards
- Brian Part as Carl Sanderson Edwards
- Kyle Richards as Alicia Sanderson Edwards
Guest Stars[]
- Rance Howard as Simpson
- Marshall Kent as Dr. Quimby
- Richard Farnsworth as Wall
- Alex Sharp as Burman
- Raymond Guth as Dixon
Uncredited Supporting Cast[]
- Cindy Moore as Tall Schoolgirl
External links[]
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