Ep 17. Troublemaker

In Little House on the Prairie season 2 episode 17, titled "Troublemaker," the Ingalls family is once again dealing with a new arrival in Walnut Grove. A man named Phil Burke comes into town, claiming to be a carpenter and looking for work. Despite some initial kindness from the townspeople, Phil quickly begins causing trouble.

First, Phil starts taking advantage of the Garvey family by doing shoddy work on their barn and then charging them more than they agreed upon. This leads to tension between Charles Ingalls and Jonathan Garvey, who doesn't want to pay for the poor workmanship.

Next, Phil sets his sights on Caroline Ingalls, who he sees as an easy mark to cheat out of money. He convinces Caroline to buy some fabric from him for a dress, but then sells her a completely different, lower-quality fabric instead. When Caroline confronts him about this, he dismisses her concerns and refuses to give her a refund.

As the episode goes on, Phil's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous. He starts drinking heavily and even pulls a knife on Mary Ingalls when she catches him drinking on the Ingalls' property.

Eventually, Phil's true intentions are revealed: he is actually a fugitive on the run from the law. He's been going from town to town, pretending to be a carpenter in order to scam people out of money and steal from them. When the townspeople realize the truth about Phil, they band together to catch him and turn him over to the authorities.

Despite the serious subject matter, "Troublemaker" still manages to be an entertaining and engaging episode of Little House on the Prairie. The conflict between Phil and the townspeople gives the episode a sense of tension and danger, while also allowing the characters to showcase their strengths and commitment to justice.

As always, the performances on the show are top-notch, with Michael Landon and Karen Grassle standing out in particular as Charles and Caroline Ingalls. The supporting cast also brings depth and nuance to their roles, making it easy to become invested in the story.

Overall, "Troublemaker" is a great example of the kind of well-crafted, emotionally resonant storytelling that made Little House on the Prairie such a beloved classic. Whether you're a longtime fan of the show or just discovering it for the first time, this episode is definitely worth watching.