Since Netflix first announced plans for an updated adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book series, she was the inspiration behind the popular 1974 TV series. little house on the prairiewas focused on Idea of new show rather than its content. Now that the show is finally available, was it worth the fuss?
The content of the show is paramount, and this is the new iteration little house on the prairie The top tier is Netflix, which balances contemporary perspectives on things like Indigenous relations in a way that is natural and organic to the storytelling. Plus, its moral lesson on community and kindness matches that of the original 1974 series exactly. Add in an amazing cast of new faces and established actors and it’s sad that there are only eight episodes to enjoy in this first season.
This first season follows the Ingalls clan as they leave the “Big Woods” of Wisconsin and set up shop in the budding town of Independence, Kansas. Seen from the perspective of young Laura (Alice Halsey), the family makes new friends while struggling to build their new home and stay afloat financially.
Netflix shows geared toward young girls and family audiences are some of its strongest content. Audiences, young and old, who enjoyed the adaptation of Ann M. Martin’s (very quickly canceled) series Baby-Sitters Club Seeing this will feel the same feeling of welcome and joy. power of dog Cinematographer Ari Wagner creates the look for the rest of the series, and introduces us to the Ingalls as they marvel at the endless expanse of sky and land before them during their journey to freedom.
That pilot episode – directed by Sarah Adina Smith, the first of an all-female directing team – can remind anyone of the days of playing Oregon Trail On their computer. The family is swimming across a river, lose their dog Jack, and find Caroline, aka Ma (Crosby Fitzgerald), with both bruised arms and a bleeding leg, crushed by a log. And yet the show doesn’t revel in the struggles of living off the land. Its primary focus is on how Ingalls deals with it, as well as the various entities trying to make their way through it.
Ten million. Eric Zachanovich/Netflix © 2026
Once Ingalls was established in freedom, the episode spanned about a year in his life. Each family member has their own personal trauma and reason for wanting to start fresh. Family patriarch Charles “Pa” Ingalls (Luke Bracey) struggles with guilt over his younger brother’s demise, while Caroline has many preconceived notions about Indigenous people as she deals with her wealthy sister’s desire to return home. There is a strong chemistry between Bracey and Fitzgerald that solidifies the partnership of Ma and Pa. Each has their own individual sphere that they are dealing with, yet the series always emphasizes that they are both making their home here.
Bracey is the MVP of the adult cast, his PA a man who is desperately trying to atone for his sins. As the season progresses, Ingles struggles for money. Mom and Dad question how they will be able to care for the girls or keep a roof over their heads. Pa reminds Laura in the first episode that “hope is everything,” and some of the show’s most powerful moments, particularly at the end of Season 1, when Pa himself wonders if it’s enough.
Of course, Alice Halsey’s role as Laura establishes a new take on the character, who was famously played by Melissa Gilbert. With a wide-brimmed hat on her head – similar to Hailee Steinfeld’s Mattie Ross true Grit -Halsey brings a pervasive curiosity to her performances. When the family comes down with a fever in “Life Let Us Cherish”, it falls to Laura to try to get help. Halsey carries almost the entire episode with a determination that masks the fear behind her eyes. Contrast this with the next episode, “A Circle of Blue Sky”, in which Laura joins in on the younger sister’s antics, and taunts older sister Mary (Skywalker Hughes) about having a crush on her.
Children learn from teachable moments, but some of the harshest lessons learned in the series focus on adults and their tendencies toward racism and bigotry. Fitzgerald’s Caroline must grapple with her fear of the local Osage, a strange feeling she has with her awareness of how town busybody Gemma James (Mary Holland) has excluded local shop owner Emily (Barrett Doss) because she is black. But the major side plot involves the Osage and the question of whether they will sell their land. Laura befriends Good Eagle (Rena Zhavenim Gotts), while Charles befriends Good Eagle’s father, William Mitchell (Miegwun Fairbrother).
Ten million. Eric Zachanovich/Netflix © 2026
If there is any darkness to be found within the series, it is less the fear of living on the plains and more these individual moments of doubt that arise through the struggle to control the land. In a series featuring many fantastic stories and characters, the family meets John Edwards (Warren Christie), a former soldier struggling with alcohol addiction and the loss of his family. Even children grapple with questions of identity and alienation, like local shop boy Caleb (Coven Cadorth), who lost his parents.
At only eight episodes (each between 45-56 minutes), the series keeps things moving incredibly fast. The Christmas episode, “Peace on Earth”, is one of the few episodes where things slow down. Beautifully directed by Erica Tremblay, this story of appreciation is a wonderful episode of television. By the time the last episode arrives, it all feels very brief. It would have made sense for this first season to run at least ten episodes (thankfully, Season 2 has already been filmed).
little house on the prairie An extraordinary reboot. Everything packed into these eight episodes hits straight to the heart with a story about perseverance and family. Any question of “wokeness” says more about the viewer than what’s on-screen, as the series reflects the ideals that have shaped America, for better and worse. Brilliantly cast, beautifully filmed – this is a series winner.
