Little House on the Prairie: Season Two

After I whined about having to slog through several hours of Little House on the Prairie, a friend sarcastically cracked on the show, “Pa came back from town with a piece of candy…made my year!” True, LHOTP is a schmaltzy, saccharin-soaked family dramedy that does little justice to Laura Ingalls Wilder's wonderfully realistic classic series based on her own pioneer upbringing. However, at the end of this 22-episode set, I still wished I had more. Looking entirely too sexy with an unbuttoned shirt and his chest hanging out, Michael Landon appears to relish his role as patriarch Charles “Pa” Ingalls, offering loving advice to daughter Laura (the adorable Melissa Gilbert, and—yes—her freckles do look especially cute on high-definition Blu-ray). Following the ups and downs of life in Walnut Grove, MN, this 1975-76 sophomore season finds the Ingalls' and their friends in stories featuring sports (“In the Big Inning”), an outdoor vacation with the rival snobby Oleson family (“The Campout”), and romantic shenanigans (“The Spring Dance”). In the poignant two-parter “Remember Me,” Victor French takes center stage as rough family friend Mr. Edwards, who expands his own circle in the wake of a tragedy. Standout episodes include “Four Eyes,” chronicling the beginning of Laura's sister Mary's (Melissa Sue Anderson) eyesight troubles; “The Long Road Home,” built around hauling liquid dynamite and guest starring Louis Gossett Jr.; and the strange morphine-related drama “Soldier's Return” (featuring Richard Mulligan). Extras include a retrospective featurette. Offering undemanding entertainment that the whole family can enjoy, this remastered second season looks sharp on Blu-ray. Recommended. (J. Williams-Wood)