Netflix Little House on the Prairie Episode 3 recap: News of the World

Luke Bracey as CHARLES, Crosby Fitzgerald as CAROLINE

This is the episode 3 recap. For all of my Little House recaps, visit the landing page. 

This episode opens with Laura and Mary playing by the creek. Laura sees four Osage ladies nearby and shouts at them to say hello. She later leaves a flower crown and some gum drops for them to find as a friendship offering. Out of all the Ingalls, Laura seems to be the one that really wants to make friends with their Indigenous neighbors. It remains to be seen whether it's out of genuine interest or a fascination they won't find flattering. True, Laura doesn't understand the precarious situation her family is in, but I'm glad that they at least haven't made it "easy" for Laura to make friends as if she's some kind of special girl they magically feel a connection to. 

The new house is built and looks darn good. Adam Scott, our short king, did okay after all. Charles carries Caroline over the threshold in celebration. The first thing Caroline does is get into her luggage and pull out a china shepherdess, clearly a beloved keepsake. 

The family goes to town to do some shopping and see the ribbon cutting of the new post office. Eli James congratulates Charles on his fine job at drawing the city of Independence and gives him a copy as a token of gratitude. It turns out that Pa has a bent for drawing realistic cityscapes. They meet Ms. Lacey Aubert, who we met briefly last episode. She is special friends with Mr. Edwards. Lacey sticks out like a sore thumb because she wears trousers. This impresses Laura. 

Mrs. Jemma James interrupts the introductions to pull Carolina back into her orbit. She's made it clear that she's Carolina as her special pet and wants her to all to herself. I am getting the feeling that Ms. James is one of those people that has a lot of resources. But she uses her goods to ingratiate people and sort of collect a following for herself. 

The post office has happened and the Ingalls already have 3 letters: one for the girls from grandma, one for Caroline from her mother, and the last for a letter for Charles from a man named Mr. Gustafson about the mortgage payment. The letter includes news about his father, who isn't doing well.  

CAROLINE and CHARLES ride past LITTLE PUMA and MYRON on the way to town

 Laura sees Good Eagle and gets enthused at the idea of her new friend coming over for school. She doesn't really like school and thinks Good Eagle would be a welcome distraction from just fighting with Mary. We find out in this same episode that Laura can't read yet.  

Dr. Tann and Ms. Emily Henderson interact at the store. They two are obviously crushing on each other. He mentions that there has been an outbreak in Oswego and may need some quinine soon. Mary bumps into Caleb again. She asks him if he received the letter she sent via Mr. Edwards. Caleb gets flustered and runs off, making Mary feel rejected.  

While Pa and the girls shop at the store, Carolina as been reading her letter from home. Her mother's letter feels more like a reprimand than a missive. She tells Carolina they never should have left and that she should come home to have the baby safely. Caroline doesn't share this with Charles. Throughout this episode, Caroline pulls out this letter. Her repeated reading of the letter and her decision to not tell Charles what the letter says leads me to believe that she wonders if they should not have come. 

Eli James travels out to Adam's Scott's settlement where Adam and Charles are working. He wants Charles to help build a church and has been waiting for the right person for the job. Adam asks if they will get a land office soon. Eli James responds that he believes the Osage are reasonable and will sell at a fair price. During this scene we also find out that Adam Scott has a crush on Lacey Aubert. 

The girl have another argument, which causes Carolina to send them out to do chores. When Laura returns, she finds two Osage men in their house. Caroline and Mary are huddled in the corner. Laura decides to offer them cornbread and jam. The Osage don't do anything threatening, but they end up taking some items, including the china shepherdess. The Osage can understand English, but they speak their native language so that the Ingalls can't understand them. We learn that they are irritated that the Ingalls are there on the property when they haven't paid any money. 

While we don't like to see the Ingalls scared, the Osage have a point. The Ingalls may have arrived innocently and thinking it was allowed, but they stayed anyway and built a house there. They have used the resources to get water, wood, and food to eat. They picked blackberries and made jam with them. Isn't it right they should be compensated? Later on, we learn these men are actually teenagers and like causing mischief. 

Wren Gotta as GOOD EAGLE, Alice Halsey as LAURA

Pa returns home and finds out about the Osage raid and goes to talk to Mr. Mitchell, a man he know trusts. During Pa's trip to the Mitchell's house, we find out that one of the Osage men who came to the Ingalls is actually Little Puma, the brother of Mrs. Mitchell, named White Sun. She chides her brother for doing something so reckless. 

Charles arrives and see Little Puma in their house. Still he doesn't confront him. Perhaps he realizes this young sprout isn't a threat. Mr. Mitchell tries to help Charles to see things from the Osage perspective. They return many of the items to Charles, including the china doll. 

Ms. Jemma James arrives at the Ingalls and hear the whole story for herself. She tells Caroline about some massacres she has either heard about or experienced first hand. 

All through this episode, Mary and Laura have been fighting. It's revealed that Mary is tired of having to share everything with Laura. She wants just one thing for herself. It's at this key moment that Caleb gets enough courage to return and ask Mary if they can be friends. He was just tongue-tied when he saw her at the store.  

Charles and Caroline finally have it out. She reveals her insecurities and he admits that the land deal isn't a sure thing. Things escalate and Mary enters, demanding they stop fighting. Just then, she collapses, hot with fever. Dr. Tann hinted that an illness was spreading. Has it come to the Ingalls family?  

This was a bummer of an episode. It seemed like more conflict than fun family moments.