| "The Lost Ones (Part 2)" | |
| Season 7, Episode 22 #160 overall in Series | |
| Series: | Little House on the Prairie |
| Network/Country: | NBC |
| Original air date | May 11, 1981 |
| Episode Guide | |
 IMDb
|
The Lost Ones (Part 2) |
| Written by | Don Balluck |
| Directed by | Michael Landon |
| Guest starring: | Len Wayland, Jason Bateman, Missy Francis, Barbara Tarbuck, Randy Norton |
| Episode Chronology | |
| Previous episode: The Lost Ones (Part 1) |
Next episode: The Reincarnation of Nellie (Part 1) (Season 8 premiere) |
Reverend Alden announces he has found a family – the Tompkins – to take in orphaned James and Cassandra, unaware the father is mean and is only interested in extra farmhands. At one point, James is unjustly accused of stealing from Mr. Tompkins and is given a whipping. Eventually, the abuse takes its toll, and James and Cassandra run away.
The Tompkins tell the Ingalls the children are missing but, when Mr. Tompkins declines to help Charles in the search, it becomes clear he's more interested in getting the children home to teach them a lesson rather than for their safety. In the end, James and Cassandra decide they would be much happier living with the Ingalls, a responsibility that Charles and Caroline realize they must accept.
Cast
Starring
- Michael Landon: Charles Ingalls
- Karen Grassle: Caroline Ingalls
- Melissa Gilbert: Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Melissa Sue Anderson: Mary Ingalls Kendall
- Lindsay Sidney Greenbush: Carrie Ingalls
- Katherine MacGregor as Harriet Oleson
- Alison Arngrim as Nellie Oleson Dalton
- Jonathan Gilbert as Willie Oleson
- Kevin Hagen as Dr. Hiram Baker
- Dabbs Greer as Reverend Robert Alden
- Dean Butler as Almanzo Wilder
- Steve Tracy as Percival Dalton
- Linwood Boomer as Adam Kendall
- Matthew Laborteaux as Albert Ingalls
Guest Stars
- Len Wayland as Isaiah Tomkins
- Jason Bateman as James Cooper
- Missy Francis as Cassandra Cooper
Co-Starring
- Barbara Tarbuck as Beth Tomkins
- Randy Norton as Seth Tomkins
- kins
Quotes
- Reverend Alden (to Charles): Mr. Tompkins just told me he wants to adopt both of the children.
- Charles: I thought he said he needed some time to think about it.
- Reverend Alden: He just told me now. He wants to have them on Saturday.
- Charles: Saturday? That's awfully soon. We don't even have the papers ready.
- Reverend Alden: The papers can wait. Charles, the sooner you make this break, the better. I've seen the children at church, the way they are with you and Caroline. Believe me, Charles, the sooner, the better.
- Charles (to James and Casssandra): Well, I guess it's time to be getting you two home.
- James: Mr. Tompkins, he's gonna be awful mad.
- Charles: When I say "home," I mean our home. We want you to come and live with us. Isn't that right, Caroline?
- Caroline (smiles): That's right.
- Charles: It's gonna be downright crowded for a little while, but that's just the way it's gonna be.
- James: Gee, Mr. Ingalls. Gee!
- Charles: Caroline, this is James.
- Caroline: Hello, James.
- Charles: And this is Cassandra.
- Caroline: Welcome to our home. (Cassandra bursts into tears and grabs her around the waist) What in the world? Oh, it's all right. It's all right.
- James (in a trance): Ma. She looks like... Ma! I almost thought you were.
- Caroline: (to Cassandra who doesn't want to leave Caroline and go to school) Those children sure do make lots of noise at recess. You know, you're smart not to go to school with James. My daughter's a very hard teacher. You'll see tonight. James is going to have a lot of homework. I'll help him with it, though. You'll be the lucky one. You'll be sleeping while James and I are working on his studies. Oh, I bet he won't be through until 8 or 8:30. I love it, though. I used to be a teacher, and I just love helping children with their homework. Yes, indeed. James and I will be spending a lot of evenings together.
- Cassandra: I want homework.
- Caroline: What?
- Cassandra: I want homework!
- Caroline: Well, if you want homework, you're gonna have to go to school.
- (Cassandra smiles, hugs Caroline tight and runs off to school)
- Cassandra: I got an A on a test today!
- Caroline: Did you?
- Charles: That's not an easy thing to do. My daughter is pretty tough on grades.
- Cassandra: I really like her!
- James: I never used to have fun at school.
- Charles: Yeah, well, school can't all be fun.
- James: But most of it is.
- Laura (voiceover): So James and Cassandra came to live with Ma and Pa and Albert and Carrie and baby Grace. The little house was full of love!
External links
| Previous episode: | Next episode: |
| The Lost Ones (Part 1) | The Reincarnation of Nellie (Part 1) |
Notes
The film "Love's Unending Legacy" uses a similar theme to this episode.