User Reviews

It's a new season of Little House, and you know what that means: changes. The first wave hit the Olesons. It seems Percival's father had passed away, and so Percival, Nellie and their babies would be staying in New York indefinitely to run the family business. Harriet was absolutely devastated, but Nels kept a stiff upper lip, even though he began to miss them already. Harriet completely fell apart...um, she does realize she has another kid, right? I know she was closer to Nellie and all, but geez. Get a grip. So while Harriet deals with her existential crisis, Adam drops a bomb shell on Charles and Caroline by informing them that he and Mary were moving to New York so he could take a position at a far more suitable law firm. The future for them was looking mighty bright, and on the plus side, Caroline would soon be getting some help at the restaurant in the form of Hester Sue. So I'd say the mood about town is lukewarm...the Kendalls were leaving, Hester Sue was coming, and Harriet was still down and out. Even Doc Baker was stumped, medically. However he did broach the question of adoption. Orphanages are just bustin' with little girls 9 and 10 years of age. Nels liked the idea...and now we know who to blame for the coming of Nancy: ol' Doc Baker.

Unexpectedly, Harriet was against the idea of adoption. So to help Nels sway her, Charles brought over Cassandra to spend some time with her. She read Harriet a very, very sad story to help her feel not so sad...makes sense. I believe the ploy worked, because after hearing Cassandra talk about how much she loves living with the Ingallses, Harriet decreed that they would go to Sleepy Eye the next day and check out the orphanage.... make that Doc Baker and Cassandra Ingalls... and so at the orphanage, Harriet checks a line-up of beautiful little girls with flashing eyes and pretty smiles... not at all what Harriet was looking for, so they were sent away. The problem is that she wanted a girl who looks just like Nellie. She regaled Mr. Case about the little monster, and obviously he could care less. So a distraught Harriet prepared to leave with Nels, when suddenly, I think Satan was smiling up at them, for at that moment they heard a commotion from a troublesome, tyrannical little brat named Nancy. She was incorrigible, she was hopeless, and according to Harriet, she was perfect. Nancy was the spittin' image of Nellie, down to the golden locks. She caused the Olesons to chase her all over town, she got Nels beat up for no reason... wow, I hate her already. Nels managed to catch and box the little animal and Harriet, well, she was in love. Despite everyone's objections, Harriet wanted that girl. Talks of spoiling her seemed to win Nancy over, and so it was official: she was an Oleson. So how did Nancy fit into the community? Willie took an instant dislike to her and she gave Laura a near-traumatic case of deja vu, and she made a new enemy in Cassandra. Laura took pity on Nancy, figuring she had some severe emotional problems and she needed to be reached. Well as the saying goes, it's always darkest before the dawn and as far as Nancy is concerned, the sun ain't rising any time soon. To be continued...

Reincarnation of Nellie? More like re-spawning. But I will say this, Allison Balson was quite a find. She's a very good looking girl who portrays such a horrific brat very nicely, and isn't it also ironic that her name is Allison? They had two Melissas, now they have two Allisons; also great were Katherine MacGregor as Harriet, who we all love to hate. Richard Bull, Missy Francis and Melissa Gilbert were also very good. If you personally can't stand Nancy, then this two-parter may prove tough to watch. Her whining and saying everybody hates her just makes you want to rip out your hair. If you like episodes that show how full of crap Harriet Oleson is and if you like the girls of Walnut Grove, this one is worth seeing. If not, then watch something else. Stay tuned for Part II where the bad girl gets even worse...

Both Nellie and Mary leaving the show permanently was a huge blow on this series. Especially at the same time ...

I find it reasonable that the series replaces the children as they grow up, and they cannot continue interpreting children's themes. For this reason, Nancy becomes the new Nellie, and she plays her role perfectly.- Mrs. Oleson proves to be a kind-hearted woman in adopting her and raising her in the best way, which is demonstrated when she herself punishes her when, acting as a mermaid, she makes her fall into the water, telling her not to lie to her again.

That Adam took Mary to New York was more than predictable, strange that they did not think that Walnut Grove is not a suitable place to succeed as a lawyer before doing the stupid thing of going to settle there, surely guided by family love and not for professional success.- The state removes support from the school for the blind that disappears... It was logical in the dynamics of the series. That school was never more than an excuse for Mary to be more than just a sad housewife. Found another solution, to hell with the school. Furthermore, Ester Sue renewed her contract and had to settle somewhere else. How to be a waitress at Harriet's restaurant.-

Though we did see several for the last time at the end of Season 7, we say more goodbyes now. Nellie and Percival had to go to New York when Percival's father took sick. Upon his death, Harriet discovered that they would be staying East. Harriet became very upset and took to her bed.

Meanwhile, in a house outside of town, Caroline and Charles were learning of a similar fate. Adam, also from New York, had decided to move back to New York to find employment in his father's old law firm. Sadly, we have to say goodbye to two main characters who've been with us from the beginning!

Dr. Baker makes a stupid suggestion to Nels about adopting a girl to help Harriet. I'm not sure what possessed Nels to go with the idea. The idea of Nancy is completely stupid. Why couldn't they just leave it alone? There were enough story lines that LHOTP could have gotten along just fine without such a horrid character. Nancy is ten times worse than Nellie. Nancy is hateful and evil! Nellie wasn't quite that bad. She had her moments...

The episode ends with Nancy having an evil look on her face. We know right off what things are going to be like this season...Bring back Laura and Almanzo focus! Leave Nancy out of it...

Nancy was a pretty shameless way recapture the glory years of LHOTP by recreating one of television's most iconic lovetohate characters. Nancy is the over-the-top cartoon version of Nellie. Michael Landon must have made little Allison Balson watch hours of Nellie's greatest hits and told her "Do what she did, but multiply it by a million".

Standout moments: Laura's hilarious look of disbelief and horror when she meets Nancy. You can see in her eyes years of Nellie trauma replaying in her brain in that one moment.

Katherine MacGregor always shines when she gets to have one of those "human Harriet" moments. Here she wins over Nancy with her monologue telling how she always knew what a nasty spoiled brat Nellie was, because she was the same way and she enabled Nellie's behavior.

Atonement for past sins? Not really, but it's Harriet showing she really is capable of love...in her own unique way.

LHOP was entering its 8th season, and frankly, they were really beginning to run out of story ideas. Landon added two more cast members at the end of last season with Jason Bateman and Missy Francis. This was a trend that began with many family shows: the original kids grow up, you replace them with new ones to try and keep things going. This is something that had been done in many shows for many years such as: The Waltons, Eight is Enough, Cosby Show, etc. The problem is that the replacements are never as compelling as the original child stars, and by the time the replacements are added, the show has reached "survival mode" because of declining ratings.

Nellie (not shown) has chosen to remain in New York with Percival following the death of Percival's father. This devastates Harriet Oleson to the point of severe depression.

Mary and Adam also announce that they will be going to New York as well, as Adam has been offered a position in his father's old law firm.

Harriet is suffering to the point where it is suggested that the Oleson's adopt a new child. Eventually, Mrs. Oleson agrees. However, she's looking for a copy of Nellie. Nels tries to reason with her by saying that she'll never find one. After a hilarious chase through the strees of Sleepy Eye, in pursuit of Nancy, a vicious girl who reminds Harriet exactly of Nellie, Nels confesses, "I was wrong, Harriet. There is a child exactly like Nellie."

Alison Balson would join the cast as the vicious and vindictive Nancy. Just when you thought you've seen how horrible Nancy is, you haven't seen anything yet! Stay tuned for Part II!

I liked this episode but wasn't my favorite. Mrs. Olson is always so nasty even when people are trying to be helpful. I also wish someone would've thought to remove Irv Hartwigs name from the building after what he did to Sylvia. Maybe it was a goof.