Nobody really knew Amos Pike, a strange old man who lived in a big old house on the hill, but some folks, namely Harriet Oleson, believed him to be a homicidal maniac. And being the childish brats they are, Nellie and Willie dared Laura to walk up and touch the house, because apparently if you're crazy enough to touch the house where a maniac lives, he can't get you or something. So she accepted, but a startling noise scared her off before she could lay one finger to the wood work. So despite Charles telling her that Pike was a harmless old hermit who wanted to be left alone, Laura still felt the need to prove herself to Nellie, so she decided to take a piece of wood from the house to show she wasn't scared of it. Kids do dumb things sometimes, don't they? So she returned to Casa De Pike the next day, bringing along Jack, who spots Pike's cat and chases it inside the house. Fortunately Pike leaves his door unlocked, so Laura ran in after him and caught a glimpse of the dark, spooky and cluttered old mansion. She did a little snooping around, when suddenly, old man Pike was coming up the front stoop! She did a poor job of hiding and when he spotted her, she explained she had only come to break a piece of wood off his house. He sent her away angrily, and she had the nerve to insult him after clearly being in the wrong herself.
Unable to leave well enough alone, Laura insisted on going back and apologizing to Mr. Pike the next day. He clearly let her know he was not pleased to see her back, she accused him of being a poor housekeeper and offered to help him clean it all up and make the place good as new. You see, the reason Pike is so lonely is because his wife, Miss Lily, left him for city living, or so he says, and seemed to be expecting her to come home any time, which adds to the reason why Laura wants to turn that old rickety mansion back into a home. As they toiled, she got Pike to open up about his wife, a stage performer from Mankato. When Charles took Half-Pint with him on a freight run to Mankato, she snuck off to the local theater to try and track down Miss Lily. The theater was closed, but she was able to find the manager, who sadly told her that Lily Baldwin died twenty years prior from cholera. When she told the news to Pike, he refused to accept it and opened every music box in the room. She insisted, but he became so overcome that he shouted for her to leave. Laura decided that Pike's problem was his lack of faith, and so she left him the Bible in an old tree trunk near his house. Surprisingly, Pike sat down with it that evening. Afterwards, he went out back and knelt before Lily's grave which had been covered up by weeds. He'd found the will to pray and find faith, but he still needed guidance, and Laura was more than happy to provide it.
Another well done episode. Plenty of suspense, mystery and drama. John Anderson was terrific as Amos Pike, and he was a very good character actor back in his day. I've seen in a few episodes of The Twilight Zone. Melissa Gilbert was also fantastic, she really brought on the right emotions. That old house would reappear many, many times throughout the series, mainly as Mr. Hanson's house which became the blind school in Season 5, and just any time a character was supposed to live in a big house. Except in all subsequent appearances, the house looks much more inviting. So check out Haunted House, as well as the rest of Season 2, which I think is one of the show's best seasons. Each episode is a joy, they're made very well, the acting, writing and directing is superb. My favorites from Season 2 would have to be The Richest Man in Walnut Grove, In the Big Inning, At the End of the Rainbow, The Gift, The Pride of Walnut Grove, The Long Road Home and Soldier's Return. Other episodes, like The Spring Dance and The Runaway Caboose, they're not bad episodes, but I do think they could have been done better. There were a few things that were really off in the writing. If you plan on adding Little House to your DVD collection, Season 2 is a must. Again, one of the series' best, and it's hard to believe it was also the series' lowest rated season.
Unable to leave well enough alone, Laura insisted on going back and apologizing to Mr. Pike the next day. He clearly let her know he was not pleased to see her back, she accused him of being a poor housekeeper and offered to help him clean it all up and make the place good as new. You see, the reason Pike is so lonely is because his wife, Miss Lily, left him for city living, or so he says, and seemed to be expecting her to come home any time, which adds to the reason why Laura wants to turn that old rickety mansion back into a home. As they toiled, she got Pike to open up about his wife, a stage performer from Mankato. When Charles took Half-Pint with him on a freight run to Mankato, she snuck off to the local theater to try and track down Miss Lily. The theater was closed, but she was able to find the manager, who sadly told her that Lily Baldwin died twenty years prior from cholera. When she told the news to Pike, he refused to accept it and opened every music box in the room. She insisted, but he became so overcome that he shouted for her to leave. Laura decided that Pike's problem was his lack of faith, and so she left him the Bible in an old tree trunk near his house. Surprisingly, Pike sat down with it that evening. Afterwards, he went out back and knelt before Lily's grave which had been covered up by weeds. He'd found the will to pray and find faith, but he still needed guidance, and Laura was more than happy to provide it.
Another well done episode. Plenty of suspense, mystery and drama. John Anderson was terrific as Amos Pike, and he was a very good character actor back in his day. I've seen in a few episodes of The Twilight Zone. Melissa Gilbert was also fantastic, she really brought on the right emotions. That old house would reappear many, many times throughout the series, mainly as Mr. Hanson's house which became the blind school in Season 5, and just any time a character was supposed to live in a big house. Except in all subsequent appearances, the house looks much more inviting. So check out Haunted House, as well as the rest of Season 2, which I think is one of the show's best seasons. Each episode is a joy, they're made very well, the acting, writing and directing is superb. My favorites from Season 2 would have to be The Richest Man in Walnut Grove, In the Big Inning, At the End of the Rainbow, The Gift, The Pride of Walnut Grove, The Long Road Home and Soldier's Return. Other episodes, like The Spring Dance and The Runaway Caboose, they're not bad episodes, but I do think they could have been done better. There were a few things that were really off in the writing. If you plan on adding Little House to your DVD collection, Season 2 is a must. Again, one of the series' best, and it's hard to believe it was also the series' lowest rated season.
