"People would be outraged today": this episode of Little House on the Prairie would not pass at all according to the actress who played Nellie Oleson

There are episodes of "Little House on the Prairie" that are darker than others, and this one ranks very high on that list!

This episode of "Little House on the Prairie" shocked the actors of the series who are currently revisiting it! It concerns the character of Mr. Edwards, and its difficult subject matter makes it very dark even today compared to the rest of the series.

Who is Mr. Edwards?

NBC

Portrayed by Victor French, Isaiah Edwards is a close friend of the Ingalls family. He meets them in the pilot episode of the series and helps them build their house. When the Ingalls move from Kansas to Minnesota and settle in Walnut Grove, they reunite with Edwards, who becomes their friend. The character is present in the series until after three seasons with the Ingalls, when French leaves the show.

He was offered a great project, to be the star of his own series, Carter Country. Coincidentally, his last appearance before his departure is titled "Gold Country" (S03E21, aired in 1977).

From 1977 to 1979, French filmed two seasons of Carter Country, a comedy series that pits him against Kene Holliday, before it was canceled after 44 episodes. It was during the year of this cancellation that French agreed to reappear in Little House.

What does this episode tell?

NBC

This is the eighth episode of season 6, titled "Mr. Edwards Returns". To prevent his daughter from being crushed by a falling tree, Edwards intervenes and breaks his leg. He falls into depression, and his wife Grace, helpless to see him struggle, writes to the Ingalls asking Charles and Laura to visit him.

Since his accident, Edwards sees himself only as an invalid unable to care for his family. But faced with his friend Charles and the prospect of seeing Laura, whom he describes as "his favorite," Isaiah decides to get out of bed and go hunting with the two Ingalls. While he appears revitalized, in reality, Edwards has decided to end his life during the trip.

Having learned that the sale of electric chairs is about to begin in America, Edwards even states: "They sell modern machines to kill people who want to live, but there is nothing for those who want to die".

However, Charles Ingalls finds a way to rekindle his will to live by pretending to have had an accident himself and asking Edwards to go inform Laura. The latter finds the strength to overcome the worst obstacles to seek help. When Charles reveals the truth to him, Edwards declares: "I almost killed myself 100 times to come save you." To which Charles replies: "I thought that’s what you wanted, to die."

Edwards is left speechless. Ingalls delivers the final blow: "I had to run to keep up with you. You do pretty well when you forget to pity yourself."

"One of the most terrifying things I have ever seen"

NBC

In their podcast (shared by Télé Loisirs), actors Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and Dean Butler (Almanzo) recalled how difficult this episode was for its time. The series aired in prime time, and Edwards had always been a comedic character, teaching Laura to spit or telling outrageous stories about his past.

The character's deep depression and its raw treatment (several suicide attempts during the episode) were shocking:

"I think people would be outraged if this aired today," Arngrim confides. "There are a few scenes where I was left speechless, thinking: 'I can't believe this is actually happening in an episode of Little House on the Prairie.' This episode is one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen."

After this guest-star role during season 6, Victor French would return in season 8 and for the entirety of season 9. He filmed the three concluding TV movies of the series between 1983 and 1984, before joining Highway to Heaven, where he reunited with Michael Landon for 5 seasons aired between 1984 and 1989, the year French passed away at only 54 years old from lung cancer.