But for fans who enjoy seeing the "life story" of the Ingalls, there are several episodes here that mark significant milestones in the pioneer family's life: the aforementioned "The Wedding" as well as "The Sound of Children," both dealing with Mary. Some are purely fun stories, such as "The Lake Kezia Monster" in which Laura and Albert conspire to invent a local monster to help a friend, while quite a few are "message" episodes that tackle the topic of bigotry from several angles, in episodes like "The Craftsman" and "Barn Burner." And, of course, we get the standard assortment of episodes dealing with friends of the Ingalls, who conveniently appear in just one episode and then are never heard of again.
Most of the episodes are purely stand-alone. A new friend of the family is introduced in the opening episode and continues to appear in later stories: this is the orphan boy Albert, who provides a welcome companion-in-adventure for Laura, who remains the most lively and entertaining character in the family. In addition to the Ingalls family, we see more of several recurring characters, including Adam, who cements his place in the family in "The Wedding," and of course the Olesons. Season 5 manages to make some good use out of the change in location, with "The Winoka Warriors" and "The Man Inside" both set in the city, until rather inevitably we get a return to Walnut Grove in "There's No Place Like Home." The economic struggles of the family and their decision to move on is an accurate portrayal of life for the 19th century pioneers, and captures the general themes of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books even though the specific stories are not based directly on her work. The two-part "As Long as We're Together" follows the Ingalls as they head off to make a living in the big city, where Mary is teaching at a school for the blind. Season 5 opens on a somber note, as most of the inhabitants of Walnut Grove, their livelihoods vanishing because of the big-business tactics of the railroads, pack up and prepare to set off for new pastures. but it's reasonably well done sentimental stuff that manages to be a "family show" without condescending to either adult or child viewers. What makes Little House on the Prairie a cut above the standard, forgettable "family drama" is, on the one hand, its interesting historical setting and likable characters, and on the other hand, its willingness to let the lives of the characters develop and change over the course of the show.
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