Soldier's Return

Season 2, Episode 21, Aired

Episode Summary

EDIT
3.3
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Bad
101 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate Now!
Mrs. Whipple is beside herself with excitement when her only son returns home. After fighting in the Civil War, Granville does his best to re-adjust to the outside world, but with so much emotional trauma to deal with, he tries to avoid it, which affects more than just himself.moreless
WRITE A REVIEW FAN RECAP

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

See All

  • Granville Whipple, the only son of Walnut Grove's much-loved seamstress, returns home after many years absence and having fought in the Civil War. Granville has many ghosts to deal with, none of which he feels he can discuss.moreless

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By Lady_Lancaster, Dec 10, 2011
    Mrs. Whipple is delighted when her son, Granville, returns home after being away for 12 years. Wounded in the Civil War, Granville earned a medal for heroism and has been left with a permanent limp for which he is strongly addicted to pain killers - morphine being his favourite. When he tries, unsuccessfully, to gain medication from Doc Baker, he breaks into his surgery and steals it instead.

    It is soon obvious that the man is suffering PTSD after the death of his friend in combat, and his addiction to strong medication has a permanent hold on him.

    His death brings about release for himself and his mother as well as lays his ghosts to rest once and for all.moreless

  • Mrs. Whipple's son comes home after serving in the Civil War, affected what we would call post traumatic stress disorder.

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By ceosmom, Oct 30, 2011
    I have never been a fan of LHOTP episodes that introduce an episode-centric character to the plot, only to kill him/her off at the end of the episode. The writers expectation that we should "get into" these storylines is asking an awful lot of fans who love the insular world of Walnut Grove and want to follow the lives of its regular inhabitants. Here, the late great Richard Mulligan (Soap, Teachers), plays Mrs. Whipple's son, a shell-shocked and morphine addicted Civil War veteran. The plotline is pretty much inappropriate for this series, however, in a post-Vietnam era, I can understand why the writers put out this episode. Not recommended.moreless

  • Terrific episode!

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By touched245, Sep 30, 2010
    This episode has everything for LH; great acting, stellar (dark) storyline, memorable moments. Now while people complain that this ep is "out of character" admitedlly all shows have them sometimes. But with Richard Mulligan's acting in this episode. You hardly remember that this is LH, because he draws you in. This is one of my definite LH favorites!
WRITE A REVIEW
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

FILTER BY TYPE

Little House on the Prairie Forums


Add a Topic See All
Last Activity
Replies

Related Shows

Season 2 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
Going Home
Ep 21
Soldier's Return
Ep 20
Centennial
Ep 19
For My Lady
Ep 18
The Long Road Home
Ep 17
Troublemaker
Ep 16
The Runaway Caboose
Ep 15
A Matter Of Faith
Ep 14
The Pride Of Walnut Grove
Ep 13
The Talking Machine
Ep 12
His Father's Son
Ep 11
The Gift
Ep 10
At The End Of The Rainbow
Ep 9
Remember Me (2)
Ep 8
Remember Me (1)
Ep 7
The Spring Dance
Ep 6
The Campout
Ep 5
Haunted House
Ep 4
In The Big Inning
Ep 3
Ebenezer Sprague
Ep 2
Four Eyes
Ep 1
The Richest Man In Walnut ...

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
TV.com Properties | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use