Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) Castoffs (1977) User Reviews

New Faces

[mitchrmp · 8/10 · 15 June 2013]

New faces, new stores, and new pets, but the stories are still as heart- warming as always! As Season 4 kicks off, we notice a few changes:

1. The Edwards family no longer live in Walnut Grove. We'll soon see them again in a future episode.

2. The Garvey family has moved into Walnut Grove. Mr. Garvey, his wife Alice, and their son Andy soon become a very important part of the show. I don't like their characters as well as the Edwards, but they still have a place in my heart.

3. The children are growing! It seems noticeable in this season. Laura still wears that dress Ma made in the second episode (though I suspect it's Mary's dress). Mary no longer wears hers. Mary and Nellie both have really grown! Their stories become a lot more intense in this season as well.

4. Out with Jack and in with Bandit. Obviously, no dog can replace Jack. We watched him in the premier episode when he almost died crossing the creek. He's the dog from the books. Yet we know that all things must die - including dogs!

The special guest in this show actually shows up in a couple more episodes. Of course, my favorite is "Lake Kezia's Monster!

Yep, it's going to be another happening season in Walnut Grove!

The children of Walnut Grove befriend a "crazy" lady who has recently arrived in town.

[tinman19602003 · 7/10 · 11 May 2006]

Hermione Baddeley plays a charming, slightly dotty old lady named Kezia Horn, who arrives in Walnut Grove and lives in the cellar of a house that burned down. When she is greeted by the children with flowers, the old lady plays a game of pretend with them, acting as though the house is complete and invites them to have "tea".

Though Willie Oleson, Laura and others like her, snooty Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim), tells her mother that the old lady is "crazy" and Mrs. Oleson begins bad mouthing Kezia to the town in general, all without having met the kindly old person.

When Reverand Alden wishes to invite the newcomer to church, Mrs. Oleson declares that anyone who does so is endangering their children. Her constant barrage of negative comments cause others to have doubts, and the Reverend is elected to ask the old woman to "move on". Meeting Kezia Horn, Alden (Dabbs Greer) is charmed by her personality and saddened to learn that Walnut Grove is not the first town to "run her off" and Kezia later packs her wagon and leaves. Laura is instrumental in convincing the townspeople they were wrong.

The episode is very touching and Ms. Baddeley plays her part well. The subplot of Jack the dog dying and the arrival of Bandit as the new Ingalls dog has Laura at first rejecting the new pet, and after her "crazy" new friend shows her she is wrong, Laura begins to see that she is not the only resident of Walnut Grove who has misjudged a newcomer.

New Friends Abound...

[ExplorerDS6789 · 8/10 · 17 June 2011]

It's a new season of Little House, which means there are big changes in store for our favorite characters. Some good and some bad, and some bittersweet. First off, Walnut Grove's got a new resident, an eccentric old woman named Kezia Horn who has set up house near the church/schoolhouse. Now, a funny thing about Kezia's house... there ain't one. It's got the interior, but no exterior. Weird, huh? The townspeople thought so, and despite Reverend Alden wanting to invite her to church, Harriet and a few others vetoed that suggestion. Meanwhile, Laura was becoming very annoyed with dog Jack because he got a fox tail stuck in his ear again and she had to spend time she could be wasting elsewhere trying to tend to the animal. Poor Jack. So after leaving the dog to fend for himself, Laura joins Mary, Nellie and Willie in giving Kezia a welcome. They go to her "house" and after a short visit, learn that nobody is home (only in the physical sense). Well, at least she doesn't like Nellie, so she's a little bit normal. After a few cups of imaginary tea, Laura came home to find Jack asleep in the barn, only, come to find...he wasn't sleeping. Needless to say, Laura was heartbroken over the loss of her dog. With Jack gone, it was definitely the end of an era.

While making a pick-up in Sleepy Eye, Charles came across a stray mutt, or rather it came across him, stowing away aboard his wagon. Charles was pleased with his new passenger and thought perhaps Laura would fancy a new dog, seeing as how her old one had died on her. Her reaction: she didn't want him and ran off. The stray, whom Charles named Bandit, wouldn't leave Laura alone, despite yelling at him. I think perhaps Charles should talk with her first before forcing a new dog on her, but I'm sure he will in good time. Meanwhile, Charles' new partner at the mill, Jonathan Garvey, was experiencing nagging back pains. Despite being given medicine by Doc Baker, as well as some of his own medicine (alcohol, which he accidentally dumped into the water barrel while talking to Mary), none of it seemed to work, so he decided to follow Mary's advise and see Kezia. So while Jonathan went to seek out the so-called witch doctor, Charles went looking for Mr. Hanson, only to find a drunken Nels telling him he went home sick. Well, unfortunately for Kezia, the town voted her out, which came as no surprise to the old eccentric, having been many places in the world, all with people who feared those what was different. So as she packed what little possessions she had, she overheard Laura screaming at Bandit. Kindly old Kezia had some very sound advice for the little Ingalls girl, putting things in perspective. After the heartfelt talk, Laura was ready to welcome in Bandit, who would never replace Jack, but still had his own special place. Bandit was here to stay, now if only the same could be said with Kezia, because not only did her worldly advice help Laura, her home remedy did wonders for Jonathan's back. So during church that day, Kezia packed up and left, just as Laura made an impassioned plea to the congregation, and Reverend Alden compared Kezia's story to another soul who once made the blind see and the lame walk too. They wouldn't cast Him out for being different, so why cast out anyone else for that same reason? Harriet was against this, but the nays had it. Fortunately they catch up to Kezia half way down the road and, well, sir, she was now officially here to stay.

Unlike most one-shot characters on this show, Kezia would be seen again. She appears in two more episodes and then she disappears. I would have to say Hermione Baddeley was excellent as Kezia Horn, a very wise, if not odd individual. Merlin Olsen was also a welcome addition to the cast as Charles' new best friend, following Victor French's departure at the end of Season 3. Jonathan Garvey would be recurring on the show through to Season 7, and when comparing him with Charles, I'd say Garvey is the level-headed one. Fans of Jack will find this episode hard to watch, and that dog was right there from the beginning so it really marks the closure of an era. Loaded with both drama and as well as comedy, mainly from Jonathan and Nels, "Castoffs" is definitely one that shouldn't be missed.

Poor

[vymwwnt · 4/10 · 31 May 2023]

A very poor start to season 4. Jack the dog dies, very sad for Laura and the family. There's a "crazy lady" who has made a home in a burned out house next to the church in Walnut Grove. In the past three seasons there's never been a house there and it's never seen there again.

The children befriend her, she seems like a nice lady, keeps herself to herself and always kind.

Yet the lovely kind people of Walnut Grove have a meeting and decide not to let her stay in the town. So the ever so kind reverend and Charles kick her out. These lovely kind Christian folk kick out a defenceless 80 year old. Rather than offer her someone warm and dry to stay.