Previously on Little House, Almanzo gave Laura a choice: him or her Pa. She made her choice and Almanzo left. Percival Dalton came to town to help Nellie learn how to properly manage her restaurant, whether she likes it or not, and Laura helped the blind school find a new location in Sleepy Eye, as an abandoned courthouse. As we rejoin the story, Laura and her class are helping to fix up the new location, with no help at all from Mr. Houston or the property owner, Pims. While the rent was still $20 short, there is some good news to report: Nellie finally learned how to cook, and it actually tasted good. They were looking at a whole new Nellie Oleson....and it's about time, the old one was wearing out her welcome. Almanzo, meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to get back on Laura's good side got himself a second job as the town ice man, lugging heavy cubes back and forth. On one afternoon as he was getting his ice wagon ready, a saloon girl came over to chat with him, or rather she did all the chattering, and as expected, Laura rode by at that moment and saw it, assuming Almanzo was now into fillies. She tried convincing herself that it was over between she and him, but it's not always easy, especially when your heart won't listen to your head.
Under the delusion that Percival didn't like tall women, Nellie began walking bow-legged. He took it to mean she was making fun of his height and walked away in a huff, and remember what I said about the new Nellie Oleson? Well the old one came back to toss a bread plate at an angry customer. While the little Oleson bitch was having a relapse, Almanzo continued hauling ice rain or shine...mostly rain. As a result, Almanzo came down with pneumonia. Well, it was to everybody's good fortune that Charles was heading into Sleepy Eye the next day to give Almanzo a piece of mind because he found out what the young man had been doing behind everyone's back, took back his nasty thoughts about him and went home and told Laura, who was sure now more than ever that he was the one for her. Rushing to Almanzo's side, Laura professed her love for him and though he was unconscious, I'm sure he got the message. While Laura had finally found her true love, Nellie was intent on keeping her's. Since she'd made vast improvements in food preparation and serving, Percival declared his job was done and he would be moving on. Nellie was devastated that the only man she ever really loved was going to leave her. She had to stop him. Fortunately, she managed to catch him before he left, and as it turns out, he loves her too. He even proposed, and they would be married right away, but not a church wedding for you see, and to Harriet's extreme dismay, Percival was Jewish. They had the ceremony the next day by the creek, presided over by Doc Baker, who pronounced them man and wife. The newly weds ran to their carriage while being pelted by handfuls of rice, and as you may have expected, Laura caught the bouquet. Charles was in such good spirits that he approached Almanzo and said he and Laura would now only have to wait 1 year. He then catches his little Grace kissing a boy, but he told her she definitely had to wait until she was 18. We end with the words "to be continued in fifteen years" flashing on screen...cute joke, Michael.
Actually, Almanzo and Laura only had to wait a few months because they got married at the start of Season 7. "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Part 2" is full of emotion and rich storytelling. You know they're going to end up together, but you watch and wait anyway. For those who have experienced hardships in the love department will definitely understand what Laura and Nellie are going through. But if there was somebody out there willing to accept Nellie, there's someone for everyone. Again, Steve Tracy is a terrific addition to the cast and it's too bad we only see Percival until the end of next season. I love how down-to-earth and deadpan he can be. He's the straight man for the ages and plays well off of Nellie. Allison Arngrim has really grown up into a beautiful young lady, and not just on the outside. But you know what this means: Nellie is growing up and moving on, which means Harriet will soon need to find another little bratty girl to replace her, but that's thankfully another story. Props to Melissa Gilbert for conveying such emotion. I particularly like the scene of her and Mary, having another touching sisterly moment as Laura can't seem to get Almanzo out of her heart, but she comes to find out he's there for a reason. Dean Butler was also fantastic, portraying Almanzo as just the right man for young Miss Ingalls. So if you wanna see how Laura and Almanzo Wilder came together, and see the man who could tame Nellie Oleson, check this episode out. You won't be disappointed.
Under the delusion that Percival didn't like tall women, Nellie began walking bow-legged. He took it to mean she was making fun of his height and walked away in a huff, and remember what I said about the new Nellie Oleson? Well the old one came back to toss a bread plate at an angry customer. While the little Oleson bitch was having a relapse, Almanzo continued hauling ice rain or shine...mostly rain. As a result, Almanzo came down with pneumonia. Well, it was to everybody's good fortune that Charles was heading into Sleepy Eye the next day to give Almanzo a piece of mind because he found out what the young man had been doing behind everyone's back, took back his nasty thoughts about him and went home and told Laura, who was sure now more than ever that he was the one for her. Rushing to Almanzo's side, Laura professed her love for him and though he was unconscious, I'm sure he got the message. While Laura had finally found her true love, Nellie was intent on keeping her's. Since she'd made vast improvements in food preparation and serving, Percival declared his job was done and he would be moving on. Nellie was devastated that the only man she ever really loved was going to leave her. She had to stop him. Fortunately, she managed to catch him before he left, and as it turns out, he loves her too. He even proposed, and they would be married right away, but not a church wedding for you see, and to Harriet's extreme dismay, Percival was Jewish. They had the ceremony the next day by the creek, presided over by Doc Baker, who pronounced them man and wife. The newly weds ran to their carriage while being pelted by handfuls of rice, and as you may have expected, Laura caught the bouquet. Charles was in such good spirits that he approached Almanzo and said he and Laura would now only have to wait 1 year. He then catches his little Grace kissing a boy, but he told her she definitely had to wait until she was 18. We end with the words "to be continued in fifteen years" flashing on screen...cute joke, Michael.
Actually, Almanzo and Laura only had to wait a few months because they got married at the start of Season 7. "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Part 2" is full of emotion and rich storytelling. You know they're going to end up together, but you watch and wait anyway. For those who have experienced hardships in the love department will definitely understand what Laura and Nellie are going through. But if there was somebody out there willing to accept Nellie, there's someone for everyone. Again, Steve Tracy is a terrific addition to the cast and it's too bad we only see Percival until the end of next season. I love how down-to-earth and deadpan he can be. He's the straight man for the ages and plays well off of Nellie. Allison Arngrim has really grown up into a beautiful young lady, and not just on the outside. But you know what this means: Nellie is growing up and moving on, which means Harriet will soon need to find another little bratty girl to replace her, but that's thankfully another story. Props to Melissa Gilbert for conveying such emotion. I particularly like the scene of her and Mary, having another touching sisterly moment as Laura can't seem to get Almanzo out of her heart, but she comes to find out he's there for a reason. Dean Butler was also fantastic, portraying Almanzo as just the right man for young Miss Ingalls. So if you wanna see how Laura and Almanzo Wilder came together, and see the man who could tame Nellie Oleson, check this episode out. You won't be disappointed.
