The idea of the family going to the county fair is a good one. Some of the best parts are the interactions with the Olesons, who somehow just happened to be there on the same day.
Charles somehow has 50¢ to give to Mary and Laura each. That's a princely sum in those days. As far as what we see, they didn't need it.
Charles and Nels get involved in a Jackass Derby, where they catch one of a group let loose into a large pen, and with Charles holding a rope leading the animal, Nels rides, backwards, all the way to the finish line and they win the princely sum of $50. (I think the monetary values for this 19th Century county fair are way out of whack with reality.) Laura gets taken by a shell game and stupidly spends not just one or two of her dimes, but all five of them. So before she sees any shows or goes on a ride, or buys a single thing to eat or drink, she loses all 50¢.
But since she's the star, she'll get it back, quickly and easily. She happens to see the lady at the dunk tank quit, tired of being soaked. The man running that event calls out for a volunteer to sit in the tank, saying he'll pay $1 for one hour of sitting. (I didn't know sideshow operators in those days took in so much money they could pay this much). Laura volunteers.
Now logic says she would have been refused because the people who would pay to dunk someone would be reluctant to dunk a little girl. In real life, the guys who sat on the chairs usually called out insults to the men walking by, to get them to want to dunk the guy. Here, a girl is no problem.
Almost as soon as she gets on the seat, Laura sees Nellie coming up, ready to spend her money dunking her rival. But Nellie can't hit the broad side of a barn and spends an untold fortune without once hitting the target.
She goes up to Laura to talk to her. About then, Laura sees a couple of guys, the ones who earlier were regularly dunking the lady, and quickly gets Nellie to trade, so Nellie will get 50¢ and Laura will settle for just the same amount.
She got her to do this by lying. That's right. Laura lied. She told Nellie the thing was rigged to not drop her into the water even if the target was hit. Then she runs off and laughs when Nellie is immediately dunked.
She is then asked by Pa to take Carrie to the carousel for a ride. But the impatient Laura leaves her to go see the balloon ride, where Mary is seen going up for a tethered ride with the operator, a smooth talking young man who is most interested in getting to know Mary better. This concerns an acquaintance named Patrick, who was going to take Mary around before a pickpocket took all his money.
We keep seeing this one man picking everyone's pocket. He is followed around by a little old lady carrying a valise. In a strange twist for a family show, the pickpocket is one of two thieves shown and neither faces any element of law enforcement.
Laura is again told to take Carrie on the ride. This time she abandons her to look for the family dog, Bandit. Who brings their dog to the county fair, I asked. And even in 1880, who lets the dog run wild all around the fair? Answer: The Ingalls.
Caroline wins an award for her pickles, prompting a funny scene where Harriet Oleson whacks her husband for applauding Caroline's win.
Carrie actually did a good job with a meatier role than usual for her. I felt sorry for her because she kept getting abandoned, and she never did get to go on the carousel like she wanted. She did get one good adventure, which I should not disclose here because it's too much of a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the show.
Script weaknesses included the high sums of money for everything, the way Carrie was left alone too much, and Laura lying to trick Nellie. Had she simply tricked her, I say "Yea Laura!" But the good guys know how to trick people without lying.
It was, overall, a nice episode without anyone facing any dread disease or death, and no 1970s-related message about drugs or prejudice.
Charles somehow has 50¢ to give to Mary and Laura each. That's a princely sum in those days. As far as what we see, they didn't need it.
Charles and Nels get involved in a Jackass Derby, where they catch one of a group let loose into a large pen, and with Charles holding a rope leading the animal, Nels rides, backwards, all the way to the finish line and they win the princely sum of $50. (I think the monetary values for this 19th Century county fair are way out of whack with reality.) Laura gets taken by a shell game and stupidly spends not just one or two of her dimes, but all five of them. So before she sees any shows or goes on a ride, or buys a single thing to eat or drink, she loses all 50¢.
But since she's the star, she'll get it back, quickly and easily. She happens to see the lady at the dunk tank quit, tired of being soaked. The man running that event calls out for a volunteer to sit in the tank, saying he'll pay $1 for one hour of sitting. (I didn't know sideshow operators in those days took in so much money they could pay this much). Laura volunteers.
Now logic says she would have been refused because the people who would pay to dunk someone would be reluctant to dunk a little girl. In real life, the guys who sat on the chairs usually called out insults to the men walking by, to get them to want to dunk the guy. Here, a girl is no problem.
Almost as soon as she gets on the seat, Laura sees Nellie coming up, ready to spend her money dunking her rival. But Nellie can't hit the broad side of a barn and spends an untold fortune without once hitting the target.
She goes up to Laura to talk to her. About then, Laura sees a couple of guys, the ones who earlier were regularly dunking the lady, and quickly gets Nellie to trade, so Nellie will get 50¢ and Laura will settle for just the same amount.
She got her to do this by lying. That's right. Laura lied. She told Nellie the thing was rigged to not drop her into the water even if the target was hit. Then she runs off and laughs when Nellie is immediately dunked.
She is then asked by Pa to take Carrie to the carousel for a ride. But the impatient Laura leaves her to go see the balloon ride, where Mary is seen going up for a tethered ride with the operator, a smooth talking young man who is most interested in getting to know Mary better. This concerns an acquaintance named Patrick, who was going to take Mary around before a pickpocket took all his money.
We keep seeing this one man picking everyone's pocket. He is followed around by a little old lady carrying a valise. In a strange twist for a family show, the pickpocket is one of two thieves shown and neither faces any element of law enforcement.
Laura is again told to take Carrie on the ride. This time she abandons her to look for the family dog, Bandit. Who brings their dog to the county fair, I asked. And even in 1880, who lets the dog run wild all around the fair? Answer: The Ingalls.
Caroline wins an award for her pickles, prompting a funny scene where Harriet Oleson whacks her husband for applauding Caroline's win.
Carrie actually did a good job with a meatier role than usual for her. I felt sorry for her because she kept getting abandoned, and she never did get to go on the carousel like she wanted. She did get one good adventure, which I should not disclose here because it's too much of a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the show.
Script weaknesses included the high sums of money for everything, the way Carrie was left alone too much, and Laura lying to trick Nellie. Had she simply tricked her, I say "Yea Laura!" But the good guys know how to trick people without lying.
It was, overall, a nice episode without anyone facing any dread disease or death, and no 1970s-related message about drugs or prejudice.
