Little House on the Prairie: Season 8

1981 · 22 episodes · ★ 7.2

What Season 8 of Little House on the Prairie

The eighth season opens with the Ingalls settled in Walnut Grove, where Charles struggles to make his farm succeed while money stays scarce. Relations with the Olesons remain strained, and Harriet fuels the conflicts with her gossip. After Nellie leaves, the family adopts Nancy, a girl who resembles her, but she soon starts causing trouble at school. Charles and Nels clash with Mrs. Oleson's ambition at the town restaurant. Meanwhile, James, Albert and Willie grow up amid mischief and dilemmas, and Laura, Almanzo and Hester Sue face their own decisions.

22episodes

Oct 5, 1981aired

May 9, 1982latest episode

18.4 hrtotal runtime

Season 8 Episodes

8x01 The Reincarnation of Nellie (1)
Oct 5, 1981 · 49 min
Percival and Nellie go to New York so that Percival can run the family business now that his father has died. Mrs. Oleson gets very depressed because of Nellie leaving. The Olesons decide to adopt a girl to take the place of Nellie. While they are in Sleepy Eye, they find a girl that looks almost exactly like Nellie when she was young.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Michael Landon · Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen
8x02 The Reincarnation of Nellie (2)
Oct 12, 1981 · 49 min
Nancy turns out to be worse than Nellie ever was. She even locks another girl in the ice house. The students devise a plan to teach Nancy a lesson. They trick her into being the star in a dunking tank. Also during this episode, Adam and Mary move to New York so that they can earn a living and Hester Sue comes to Walnut Grove to work at the restaurant.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Michael Landon · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Melora Hardin
8x03 Growin' Pains
Oct 19, 1981 · 49 min
James is trying to be more like Albert. He even wants to shave like Albert has to. While James is shaving, he breaks Albert's razor. James steals a razor from the mercantile hoping Albert wouldn't notice the difference. When the truth is found out about the razor, James runs away. Albert takes off after him. When Albert finds James, it takes a lot of convincing before James decides to come back home with him.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Written by: Larry Bischof · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Jason Bateman, Wendi Turnbaugh
8x04 Dark Sage
Oct 26, 1981 · 49 min
Dr. Baker posts an ad for another doctor, to relieve his workload (and Mrs. Oleson's constant pestering). He hires Dr. Caleb Ledoux, but doesn't count on him being black. The Ingalls are among the very few to accept Dr. Ledoux, as others are outright hateful and racist. Even Dr. Baker struggles with his prejudice and, to show his spite, gives the young doctor minor cases.In the end, Dr. Ledoux is the only doctor available to call on a pregnant woman who is having labor complications. The woman's husband won't allow the doctor in the house (because he's black), and can only get to her when Charles knocks the man aside. Ledoux performs a successful surgery and delivers a son to the couple. A stunned and shaken Dr. Baker witnesses the surgery and concedes that only Caleb's and his superior training could have saved the woman's life.Dr. Ledoux later angrily tells his wife he plans to leave Walnut Grove. But only Dr. Baker's emotional speech at church convinces the good doctor to stay.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Writing: Vince Gutierrez · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Don Marshall
8x05 A Wiser Heart
Nov 2, 1981 · 49 min
Laura goes to visit Eliza Jane because of a literature seminar that is going on in town. Laura has to find a part-time job to pay for meals and other stuff. She ends up hating the job. There is a person who Laura met on the train who begins to like Eliza Jane. Eliza Jane in turn begins to like the professor teaching the seminar and the professor likes Laura. The professor tells Laura that her writing is bad when Laura tells him she is happily married. The man on the train eventually defends Laura's writing. It only takes one punch by the man to get the professor to take off and leave.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Chris Abbott · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Darlene Conley, Lucy Lee Flippin
8x06 Gambini, the Great
Nov 9, 1981 · 49 min
In an episode about hero worship, Charles and Nels share deep concerns over an aging circus performer's influence on the children of Walnut Grove. Particularly since some of them - Albert and Willie in particular - have tried some of the daredevil's more dangerous stunts, with mixed results.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Written by: Jeri Taylor · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Stephen Manley, William Keene
8x07 The Legend of Black Jake
Nov 16, 1981 · 49 min
Nels is kidnapped by two crooks. The crooks try to get Mrs. Oleson to pay ransom for her husband, but she refuses to. This makes Mr. Oleson upset and causes him to help the crooks. The kidnappers aren't very lucky. After kidnapping several different people, the crooks decide that they need to try another line of work. They leave without hurting any of the kidnapped people.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Chris Abbott · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Royce D. Applegate, Kevin Hagen
8x08 Chicago
Nov 23, 1981 · 49 min
Charles travels to Chicago to comfort a deeply grieving Mr. Edwards, whose son John Jr. had died in a tragic accident. But that grief soon gives way to rage when it becomes apparent John Jr.'s death was no accident. Charles and Mr. Edwards enlist the aid of the editor of the newspaper where John Jr. worked to uncover the truth.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: John Hawkins, B.W. Sandefur · Starring: Victor French, M. Emmet Walsh, Ernie Hudson, John C. Becher
8x09 For the Love of Nancy
Nov 30, 1981 · 49 min
An overweight boy comes to school at Walnut Grove. The schoolkids pick on him because he is so heavy. Nancy persuades the boy to bully the other school children. The jokes of the school children get so bad that the obese boy decides to quit school. The school children then decide that enough is enough. They go over and apologize to him.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Writing: Chris Abbott · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Elizabeth Rogers
8x10 Wave of the Future
Dec 7, 1981 · 49 min
Mrs. Oleson changes the restaurant into a franchise restaurant, She has a hard time living up to the agreement of the franchise. Charles and Nels get together and decide to open up a restaurant of their own, right across the street. The new restaurant forces Mrs. Oleson's restaurant out of business. The town is now back to normal, or at least as normal as it can be.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Written by: Jeri Taylor · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Roger Bowen, Mona Bruns
8x11 A Christmas They Never Forgot
Dec 21, 1981 · 49 min
Mary, Adam, Hester Sue, the Wilders, and the Ingalls are all together for Christmas. The snow begins falling and soon they are snowed in by a blizzard. To pass time, several of them tell stories. Laura talks about the Christmas in Kansas when Mr. Edwards came.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Chris Abbott, Don Balluck · Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Jerry Supiran, Don Dubbins, Tom Lester
8x12 No Beast So Fierce
Jan 4, 1982 · 49 min
James makes friends with Gideon Hale, a young boy who stutters. However, the budding friendship is damaged when Gideon overhears James making fun of him. A wolf that follows James and Charles on a delivery trip may hold the key for bringing Gideon out of his shell.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Carole Raschella, Michael Raschella · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Peter Billingsley, Jason Bateman
8x13 Stone Soup
Jan 18, 1982 · 49 min
Laura finds that balancing her teaching duties at school and managing Almonzo's orchard, while he and Charles are gone on a delivery trip to Arizona, too much to handle. Her heart-to-heart talk with a maturing Willie may hold the key to both their futures.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Writing: Peter Dixon · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Ruth Foster
8x14 The Legacy
Jan 24, 1982 · 49 min
Charles beings making tables so that he could pass on a legacy. While he is at this, Albert begins taking care of the farm. Charles gets very upset when someone steals his design and starts producing the tables in large quantities. Charles soon realizes that memories of his family is a lot more important.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Vince Gutierrez · Starring: Kevin Hagen, Kurt Smildsin, Jason Bateman, Dabbs Greer
8x15 Uncle Jed
Jan 31, 1982 · 49 min
An elderly relative of James and Cassandra tries to get custody away from Charles. He ends up being unsuccessful in the lawsuit, which means that Charles kept custody of the children.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Written by: Don Balluck · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Wiley Harker
8x16 Second Chance
Feb 7, 1982 · 49 min
Hester Sue's ex-husband, Sam, comes to town. He tells Hester Sue that he was no longer a drinker and a gambler. Hester Sue believes he has changed and soon decides to marry him. Hester Sue learns the truth about Sam when his wife and kids come and warn Hester Sue that Sam is still a drinker and gambler.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Writing: Don Balluck · Starring: Jonathan Gilbert, Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, William Phipps
8x17 Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (1)
Feb 14, 1982 · 73 min
The Wilders' budding marriage is put to its first major test when Almonzo, soon after recovering from an illness, is felled by a stroke.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Don Balluck · Starring: Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Lucy Lee Flippin, Sam Edwards
8x18 Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (2)
Feb 21, 1982 · 49 min
Almonzo, bitter at his apparent life-crippling illness, nearly gives up on life, despite the birth of little Rose. His attitude nearly drives Laura to consider leaving her husband. A tornado that destroys the farmstead may hold the key to both of their futures.
Directing: Michael Landon · Writing: Chris Abbott · Starring: Allison Balson, Kevin Hagen, Lucy Lee Flippin, Ruth Foster
8x19 A Promise to Keep
Feb 28, 1982 · 49 min
Mr. Edwards' alcoholism, fueled by John Jr.'s violent death, ruins his marriage, and he travels back to Walnut Grove to see solace with his old friends. However, those long-standing friendships are put to the test when an accident, caused by a drunken Mr. Edwards, nearly costs Albert his life.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Vince Gutierrez · Starring: Victor French, Kevin Hagen, Ruth Foster, Jason Bateman
8x20 A Faraway Cry
Mar 7, 1982 · 49 min
A longtime friend of Caroline writes to her and asks for help. Her friend is pregnant and lives at a gold prospector's camp where there is an outbreak of influenza. Caroline finds out that her friend's husband doesn't like her wife. In fact, he wants his wife's baby to die. Caroline's friend dies during childbirth, but the child survives. In another tent, a mother's child dies while be born. Caroline decides to give the baby to the other mother since she knows that the baby will be taken care of properly.
Directed by: Maury Dexter · Written by: Don Balluck, Pamela Balluck · Starring: Tom Rosqui, Kevin Hagen, Dennis Lipscomb, Brion James
8x21 He Was Only Twelve (1)
May 2, 1982 · 49 min
While Mr. Edwards, Charles, and James are in Sleepy Eye, James gets shot during a bank robbery. James, who is in a coma, is taken to the hospital. While James is in the hospital, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Ingalls, and Albert look for the bank robbers. They find them and bring them to justice. Charles continues to believe that James will get better.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Paul W. Cooper · Starring: Victor French, R. D. Call, Hal Smith, Eldon Quick
8x22 He Was Only Twelve (2) Season Finale
May 9, 1982 · 49 min
When Charles refuses to admit that James will likely never recover from his gunshot wound, he leaves Walnut Grove with his adopted son. He builds an altar in the woods and hopes that God will bring a miracle.
Directed by: Michael Landon · Writing: Paul W. Cooper · Starring: Victor French, Don Beddoe, Kevin Hagen, Jason Bateman