Four Eyes

Mary needs glasses as her eye sight needs to be improved. And kids at school call her four eyes, causing the predictable decline of self esteem.

Yep, that's basically what happens in this episode. As a stand alone story, this could have been one of the milder, child-oriented plots from LHOTP. But... Come to think of what happens later in the chronicles...

Well, Mary goes blind a few years later. And that's not a twist added by the showrunners, but part of the original canon as Mary Ingalls actually has gone blind in real life.

And because of this, in retrospect, whatever happens in this episode will gain different meaning.

And I'll just add that, before getting blind but a bit later on in the series, like, 20 episodes or so after Four Eyes, in the episode The Bully Boys, Mary will have a black eye as the new boy in her school hits her.

I had read in a blog that almost every bad thing happens to Mary in LHOTP. I suspect that might be true.

Mary's latest report card isn't so good. Charles knows she tries her best, so he excuses the grades (and no, we don't know how bad they were). It soon becomes clear that Mary is having trouble seeing. Charles has to take her to an eye doctor to get glasses, which they get the same day (interesting...).

However, Nellie is being her own nasty self and makes fun of Mary. Mary proceeds to hide her glasses and tells her father he doesn't have to give her another pair. She doesn't deserve them...

The best part of this is the kissing scene. I thought it pretty odd that Mary went INSIDE the school building to find some water for her flower when the water pump is out back...Of course, we all know Mary won't have to wear her glasses forever. There comes a time when she won't need them anymore. And if you aren't clear on what I'm talking about, just keep watching!

I could never understand how emotional Mary gets when she realizes she has blurry vision. Very odd considering, this was a time when people where dying left and right from disease, infection, or any other prairie calamity.....but for Lord's sake....I can't see the letter B!!! Overall, one of the better episodes in season 2. Good tension between the Olesons and the Ingalls......What I liked the best was the storyline between Mary and Charles. I love the part when Mrs. Beadle's beau came, and Mary completely changed her opinion on glasses. Very funny!