Late in the first episode of Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie remake, Charles and Caroline Ingalls are arguing about their decision to move the family to Kansas. It soon becomes clear that the bulk of the decision rests on Charles’ shoulders, something Caroline regrets. Their conversation eventually turns to family, both the ones left behind and the ones who have passed away. It’s a clunky scene narratively that proves emotionally resonant in the long run. The scene also serves as a guide to what this new version of the show is all about.
Loosely based on the book series of the same name, Little House on the Prairie first debuted in 1974. A 9 season run and a long history of syndication helped make the show a staple of American pop culture. Remade for the streaming era, the new series still follows the Ingalls, but the town of Walnut Grove is nowhere to be found. Charles and Caroline (Luke Bracey and Crosby Fitzgerald) take their daughters Laura (Alice Halsey) and Mary (Skywalker Hughes) to Independence, Kansas, in search of opportunity. The series follows their attempts to stake a claim in the Kansas wilds. All the while they contend with fevers, rowdy townsfolk, and the Osage people who are not pleased with settlers claiming their land.
The trickiest aspect of the show turns out to be the last part. The writing attempts to give the Osage characters the interiority they deserve. Ultimately, they still end up serving as supporting players in the Ingalls’ story. This isn’t strictly a problem with the Native American roles either. Every side character is only as important as their ability to be a friend or foe to the family and their American dream. While that works to create tension, it leaves the world feeling smaller than intended. This becomes more noticeable later on when the traumas of the Ingalls are more pronounced.
Yes, the new Little House is partially about the harsh realities of life in the pioneer days. That involves sifting through the various traumas the family endures both before and after we meet them. The results of this approach remain mixed. At their best, these serve as avenues for character development. In the most egregious situations, they strain your interest. This is the case in the show’s 4th episode, which involves the entire family hallucinating their worst fears during a bout with fever. The series wisely shies away from being as bleak as many other “realistic” portrayals of life in the settler days. That streak of optimism remains the link that connects both versions.
Like its predecessor, Netflix’s Little House is designed to appeal to as wide a swath of people as possible. While I remain unmoved by its slow pacing and halfhearted attempts to address the era’s racial dynamics. I can see the appeal. There’s enough of the original show’s DNA here to appease viewer nostalgia while updating the story for modern audiences. As remakes go, it falls squarely in the middle. Not a terrible place to be, but hardly memorable.
Little House on the Prairie is currently streaming on Netflix.