Netflix Little House on the Prairie Episode 2 recap: The House on the Prairie

[L-R]: Warren Christie as JOHN EDWARDS, Alice Halsey as LAURA, Skywalker Hughes as LAURA, Luke Bracey as CHARLES, Crosby Fitzgerald as CAROLINE

This episode begins with Charles seeing visions of his deceased younger brother, George. We find out during this episode that his brother was a drummer boy in the military. The vision indicates he may be feeling a measure of guilt about his death. This is the episode 2 recap. For all of my Little House recaps, visit the landing page.   

Mr. Edwards arrives as promised, bearing gifts of coffee, candy, and flowers. These are some of the ltitle luxuries the family can't afford. It's a nice moment of neighborly care and seems a good start to a friendship between Mr. Edwards and the Ingalls.  

The two able-bodied men being working in earnest to get this house built. Charles brings up to topic again of settlement. Mr. Edwards' comment about the land belonging to the Osage has unsettled him. Mr. Edwards seems to backtrack a little and makes vague statements about "maybe they can all just live in peace." It's an idealistic sentiment that perhaps claims of ownership don't have to factor here. This is a an odd backtrack since during the last conversation Mr. Edwards emphasized that the land isn't for sale. But perhaps this just shows that even though the white settlers knew that ownership did exist, they didn't care or figured they could just wheedle their way into staying anyway. Assuming peace can continue when one group thinks they can just mosey in anyway is naive. 

Meanwhile, Mary and Laura are having two very different reactions to the news that Ma is pregnant. Mary feel excited and imagines all the new things she can do with a younger sibling. Laura is apprehensive and worried that her relationship with Pa will suffer if the baby is a boy. Over the years, it's probably been drilled into her brain how much Pa would like a baby boy. Mary makes a comment that "then Laura won't be the favorite anymore." It's an unkind statement, but maybe Mary has had her own share of feeling inadequate. This also puts a new perspective onto the personality that Laura has adopted. Has she shaped her habits and choice around the idea that she can somehow replace the boy that she imagines her father would like better? Perhaps. 

[L-R]: Warren Christie as JOHN EDWARDS, Luke Bracey as CHARLES

Mr. Edwards notices Laura's distress sees her distress and talks to her about hunting as a distraction. She mentions her worries about the new baby. And he shows her a "secret Osage road." This is a path through the tall grass that the Osage use to return home quickly after a hunt. They come upon the Mitchells. Laura mentions that she really wants to be friends with Good Eagle that Ma is worried that will cause trouble. Mr. Edwards comes up with a plan. He has kittens and she can Good Eagle can come to his house at the same time to pick out a kitten. Mary also asks Mr. Edwards to help her deliver a letter to Caleb, a boy at the Independence general store that she has a crush on. These scenes and others show that the Ingalls all really like Mr. Edwards and feel a level of trust around him. 

Unfortunately, a new nosy character arrives to cast a shadow on this lovely bonding. Jemma James is the wife of Eli James, who we met in episode 1. She shows up bearing gifts, like Mr. Edwards, and seems to want to help. When she notices Mr. Edwards on the property, she warns Caroline to be careful how much they let him into their lives. In the original series, Caroline initially doesn't like Mr. Edwards because displays a lack of refinement. In this show, it's Jemma James who upsets the equilibrium by mentioning his propensity to get drunk. Caroline makes her own decision, based on her own past experiences with alcoholic family members, but it's Jemma who pulls the trigger. I already dislike her for her tendency to gossip and her assumption that somehow she has a patent on who should and shouldn't be accepted by society. 

Caroline has her own prejudices, sure, and she also seems to want to fit in with Mrs. James. We can all be guilty of that, but she doesn't really know her either. So why should her opinion matter more? Well her husband seems to be somewhat in charge for the moment, and is certainly the one who seems to hold the keys to owning land and perhaps jobs. 

Mr. Edwards' hands begin to shakes while on the job, and he makes a few mistakes. Caroline sees this as confirmation and, in so many words, asks Mr. Edwards to get lost. He respects her wishes, which causes yet another fight between Charles and Caroline. He chides her for having this talk without consulting him. 

Meegwun Fairbrother as MR. MITCHELL

Charles leaves to go find Mr. Edwards and see if he can makes things right. Laura does her usual and decides to wander off, against her parents' direct instructions. She remembers that Mr. Edwards said that if he goes missing, he would be on the Osage road. Rather than share this with someone, Laura decides to take Mary and go on her own. This is my least favorite trope in TV/movies -- when kids disobey their parents and then parents have to rescue them because of this stupidity. 

They take the road and get lost. Hearing music, they wonder if it's Mr. Edwards (who plays harmonica). They come across some vagrants (one of them played by the OG Nellie: Alison Arngrim!). Well these folks seem set on doing some ne'er do well shenanigans and try to grab the girls. Oh dear, this is not your mama's Little House.  

Luckily, Mr. Edwards shows up just in time to rescue the girls and bring them safely home. He delivers them safely to Carolina (staying at a respectful distance). Caroline play acts at making good faith effort at making amends by whispering an apology. Since Mr. Edwards doesn't have super sonic ears, he can't hear her half-hearted apology and takes his leave once again. Before he leaves, though, he he does give Laura an incredible gift of making sure she knows that Pa won't love a boy any more. 

Warren Christie as JOHN EDWARDS

The episode concludes with the Osage people returning home. They return on horseback, single file, glaring at the settlers in disdain. Most of the family huddles together; Laura looks elated. Their return signals that the conflict Mr. Edward hinted at is closer than we thought. As they parade by, we get the feeling that they want the Ingalls to know that their presence is noted. 

This episode ends on a sour note with no resolution of the Mr. Edwards storyline. Instead, they've accepted the assistance of Adam Scott, a young sprout that doesn't look like he could lift a log off the ground. Charles' comment that "our family is perfect as we are" wasn't satisfying either. Couldn't the parents have made a good faith effort to make it clear to Mr. Edwards that they want him around. I can only fathom that Caroline still isn't fully sure she's open to his presence.