A man by the name of Williams paid Eliza Jane a visit one sunny afternoon, he's looking for a student teacher and requests Miss Wilder's best student at the age of 16. After telling him that her best student is 12 and her 16-year-old is a dummy, but wait, there's Laura Ingalls who fits in between. Williams was willing to bend the rules in the name of desperation. The prospect of being a teacher made Laura ecstatic, and after only answering a few simple questions, she got the job. After picking out a mature new dress and trading those pig-tails for a bun, she headed off to her new job. Almanzo offered to take her to and fro, and he still can't seem to take a hint that she's into him. Maybe by the end of the episode he'll get a clue. So Laura arrives at the boarding house and instantly bonds with the proprietor, kindly Miss Trimble, the teacher Laura would be temporarily replacing. The next day was a school day and Laura eagerly set about her task. Hopefully her first teaching job won't be as hectic as Mary's. Remember Season 4's "Whisper Country"? Well as it turns out, Miss Ingalls really had her work cut out for her (doesn't she always?) At first it seems she's met a troublemaker in Chad Brewster, but that all changed when young Chad volunteered to solve a long division problem in his head right in front of Mr. Williams, impressing both he and Laura. After class, she and Chad get to talking. It seems Chad isn't too active in schoolwork because he's planning on being a farmer like his Pa, or a doctor like his grandfather. Laura assures him that he can be anything he wants to be if he's willing to apply himself.
Her first week of teaching was a surprising success and when Almanzo came to pick her up, she sensed something was wrong with him, but he wouldn't really let on. It didn't help matters when he dropped her off at home and they blew him off. You know, I do believe he has those kinds of feelings for Laura, he just hasn't let on until now. Laura has noticed, but of course she doesn't dare say anything to him, or visa versa. He does however work up the courage to ask her to the church social on Friday, or rather he asks Charles, who more than obviously still doesn't like him, for permission to ask Laura, who said she'd have to think about it. Look at this smirk on Charles' face, what a cad. Almanzo would not give up that easily, however, as he tries to get on his future father in-law's good side by making a freight run for him, mainly as an excuse to visit Laura in Currie. Despite his good intentions, Mr. Wilder is about to blow it big time. He walks in on Laura and Chad demonstrating how flexible the rib cage is and punches him, then he gets mad at Laura for being affectionate for a student. She blows him off, he tells Charles what happened, who was surprisingly understanding. The next day, Laura's birthday, Charles came to pick her up in lieu of Almanzo, and it was then that Half-Pint opened up about her feelings for Almanzo, and again, Charles was understanding. On to the church social! All of hero township was there, groovin' and getting' down with their bad selves, partying like it was 1899. Albert dances with Eliza Jane, expecting a good report card, I guess. Laura finds Manly moping out back. They make amends, he admits he acted like an ass and gives her her present, a shawl, and then they both felt an odd magnetic sensation that drew their lips together in Laura and Almanzo's first kiss. Then they dance, and Charles laments he is about to lose a daughter. Again. It's not like he doesn't have two more, and by the end of Season 7, he'll have another one.
This episode was pretty good. A big milestone for Laura Ingalls, she got her first teaching job, her first kiss and turned 16 in the same episode. She's come a long way. Now at the very end, Caroline says she's eager to be called a grandmother and Charles a grandfather, as if it were their first time. They had a grandson, for at least a season, that is until Albert burned down the blind school, but that's another, much sadder story. They'll only have to wait until Season 8 to be grandparents again. Melissa Gilbert brings her A-game here, Dean Butler was great at conveying all the emotion that a frustrated, lustful man must feel when he can't find the right words or actions to express himself. It should be smooth sailing for the love birds from here on out, but of course, Charles still has his hang-ups and doesn't want his Half-Pint to marry until she's 18, but that will all get settled in the next episode. "Sweet Sixteen" is one you should really check out!
Her first week of teaching was a surprising success and when Almanzo came to pick her up, she sensed something was wrong with him, but he wouldn't really let on. It didn't help matters when he dropped her off at home and they blew him off. You know, I do believe he has those kinds of feelings for Laura, he just hasn't let on until now. Laura has noticed, but of course she doesn't dare say anything to him, or visa versa. He does however work up the courage to ask her to the church social on Friday, or rather he asks Charles, who more than obviously still doesn't like him, for permission to ask Laura, who said she'd have to think about it. Look at this smirk on Charles' face, what a cad. Almanzo would not give up that easily, however, as he tries to get on his future father in-law's good side by making a freight run for him, mainly as an excuse to visit Laura in Currie. Despite his good intentions, Mr. Wilder is about to blow it big time. He walks in on Laura and Chad demonstrating how flexible the rib cage is and punches him, then he gets mad at Laura for being affectionate for a student. She blows him off, he tells Charles what happened, who was surprisingly understanding. The next day, Laura's birthday, Charles came to pick her up in lieu of Almanzo, and it was then that Half-Pint opened up about her feelings for Almanzo, and again, Charles was understanding. On to the church social! All of hero township was there, groovin' and getting' down with their bad selves, partying like it was 1899. Albert dances with Eliza Jane, expecting a good report card, I guess. Laura finds Manly moping out back. They make amends, he admits he acted like an ass and gives her her present, a shawl, and then they both felt an odd magnetic sensation that drew their lips together in Laura and Almanzo's first kiss. Then they dance, and Charles laments he is about to lose a daughter. Again. It's not like he doesn't have two more, and by the end of Season 7, he'll have another one.
This episode was pretty good. A big milestone for Laura Ingalls, she got her first teaching job, her first kiss and turned 16 in the same episode. She's come a long way. Now at the very end, Caroline says she's eager to be called a grandmother and Charles a grandfather, as if it were their first time. They had a grandson, for at least a season, that is until Albert burned down the blind school, but that's another, much sadder story. They'll only have to wait until Season 8 to be grandparents again. Melissa Gilbert brings her A-game here, Dean Butler was great at conveying all the emotion that a frustrated, lustful man must feel when he can't find the right words or actions to express himself. It should be smooth sailing for the love birds from here on out, but of course, Charles still has his hang-ups and doesn't want his Half-Pint to marry until she's 18, but that will all get settled in the next episode. "Sweet Sixteen" is one you should really check out!
