After another day of educating the future of our country, Miss Beadle climbed on her carriage to head home, when some little bastard started chasing all the other students around with a snake. They all screamed bloody murder and ran, which ended up spooking Miss Beadle's horse and it took off in a flash, pulling the carriage and frantic teacher with it. Thankfully another rider was able to stop the horse, but in the process, Beadle was thrown from the carriage, and I've got to give props to Charlotte Stewart for doing her own stunt in that scene. So, with Miss Beadle laid up, the school board needed a substitute, and who better to fit the bill than Caroline Ingalls? The Olesons, Doc Baker and Mr. Hanson came to tell her in person. She was reluctant to accept at first, but as soon as Harriet mentioned possible favoritism on account of having her own daughters in the class, she made up her mind and took the job. Caroline used to be a teacher, but that was a long time ago and she's certain there are new methods now. Needless to say, Mrs. Ingalls' first day of class was awkward, both for her and the students, some of which did not accept her as a teacher. When it came time for reading, one of the first students called was Abel McKay, who was obviously a 30-year-old man posing as a student, and it was revealed that he couldn't read, which warranted a few giggles from the other pupils. As if Caroline didn't have enough children to deal with, Harriet attempted to butter her up by giving her more for her eggs and build Nellie and Willie as altruistic angels who adored and were dedicated to their schoolwork. Caroline wasn't buying it.
When Abel didn't come to class, Caroline went out to the McKay place to have a talk with his pa, Baker, who saw no problem with his son wanting to quit school and possibly better himself. She managed to convince Hoss Cartwright to come back to school, and even made the rest of the class her deputy teachers to help him. She assigned each student a letter of the alphabet to be read aloud. Nellie's letter was B...how fitting. Putting the letters together formed words, which Abel read aloud. For a day, everything was going splendidly when who should barge in but Heigh-Ho Harriet, who assumed Caroline was "pandering to her favorite student" and put down Abel right to face, causing him to run off again. Mrs. Ingalls quit on the spot. Once again, Doc Baker, Mr. Hanson, and Nels with his big-mouth wife in tow, tried to appeal to Caroline's good nature to reconsider. She told them what happened and Harriet tried to stammer out an explanation, but realized she was wasting her time. Despite the men asking nicely, Caroline had to turn them down. As if that weren't bad enough, guess who they elected to take her place? Instead of bothering to find a decent person to fill in for Miss Beadle, they went to the bitch that was the reason for Caroline quitting in the first place. So, Mrs. Oleson's first day of class was very awkward, mainly for herself and not her students, who didn't come. On her way home from selling eggs, Caroline ran into Abel, who told her his mind was made up and he wasn't going back to school. He made her a letter A sculpture, which she pointed meant that in just the short time she tutored him, the letters and numbers have become engraved in his brain and won't ever leave. Well, after some moping and self deprecation, Abel agreed to go back if Caroline agreed, which she did. After a few days, Abel made real progress and had more self esteem, so by the time Miss Beadle came back, the whole school was singing Caroline's praises and she knew she made a difference and this is one experience she may never live down.
You know how I referred to Abel as Hoss Cartwright earlier? Well that was before I found out that Dirk Blocker is in fact the son of Dan Blocker, Big Hoss himself. Abel McKay did not appear on the show again, but his father Baker would appear twice more. Anyway, School Mom was a very good episode. Karen Grassle was magnificent, as was Dirk Blocker, and Katherine MacGregor was great as Harriet, a character who suffers from being unable to think before she talks, and this is one of many, many instances where she displays this imperfection. Many good scenes, like Caroline playing baseball, and the second meeting between her and the school board, particularly Karl Swenson's performance was hilarious there. So if you like Caroline, you want to see how she fairs as a teacher, check this one out. Mrs. Oleson would get her day in class in a Season 7 episode, which doesn't hold a candle to this one.
When Abel didn't come to class, Caroline went out to the McKay place to have a talk with his pa, Baker, who saw no problem with his son wanting to quit school and possibly better himself. She managed to convince Hoss Cartwright to come back to school, and even made the rest of the class her deputy teachers to help him. She assigned each student a letter of the alphabet to be read aloud. Nellie's letter was B...how fitting. Putting the letters together formed words, which Abel read aloud. For a day, everything was going splendidly when who should barge in but Heigh-Ho Harriet, who assumed Caroline was "pandering to her favorite student" and put down Abel right to face, causing him to run off again. Mrs. Ingalls quit on the spot. Once again, Doc Baker, Mr. Hanson, and Nels with his big-mouth wife in tow, tried to appeal to Caroline's good nature to reconsider. She told them what happened and Harriet tried to stammer out an explanation, but realized she was wasting her time. Despite the men asking nicely, Caroline had to turn them down. As if that weren't bad enough, guess who they elected to take her place? Instead of bothering to find a decent person to fill in for Miss Beadle, they went to the bitch that was the reason for Caroline quitting in the first place. So, Mrs. Oleson's first day of class was very awkward, mainly for herself and not her students, who didn't come. On her way home from selling eggs, Caroline ran into Abel, who told her his mind was made up and he wasn't going back to school. He made her a letter A sculpture, which she pointed meant that in just the short time she tutored him, the letters and numbers have become engraved in his brain and won't ever leave. Well, after some moping and self deprecation, Abel agreed to go back if Caroline agreed, which she did. After a few days, Abel made real progress and had more self esteem, so by the time Miss Beadle came back, the whole school was singing Caroline's praises and she knew she made a difference and this is one experience she may never live down.
You know how I referred to Abel as Hoss Cartwright earlier? Well that was before I found out that Dirk Blocker is in fact the son of Dan Blocker, Big Hoss himself. Abel McKay did not appear on the show again, but his father Baker would appear twice more. Anyway, School Mom was a very good episode. Karen Grassle was magnificent, as was Dirk Blocker, and Katherine MacGregor was great as Harriet, a character who suffers from being unable to think before she talks, and this is one of many, many instances where she displays this imperfection. Many good scenes, like Caroline playing baseball, and the second meeting between her and the school board, particularly Karl Swenson's performance was hilarious there. So if you like Caroline, you want to see how she fairs as a teacher, check this one out. Mrs. Oleson would get her day in class in a Season 7 episode, which doesn't hold a candle to this one.
