In this episode of Little House, Big Opinions — the Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast for people unpacking their childhood in real time — Riley and Amanda revisit "The Raccoon," an episode that somehow turns an adorable baby raccoon into one of the most emotionally devastating episodes of Season 1.

After Mary accidentally destroys Laura's beloved doll, she brings home an orphaned baby raccoon to cheer her up. Laura instantly falls in love with Jasper, teaches him tricks, sneaks him into school, and becomes Walnut Grove's first unofficial raccoon mom. Unfortunately... Jasper is still a raccoon.

This week on the podcast: Charles Ingalls attempts porcelain doll reconstruction, Caroline quietly enables Laura's questionable wildlife decisions, Jack gets completely replaced as Laura's favorite animal, and everyone repeatedly ignores the very obvious warning signs that wild animals belong in the wild. Then a second raccoon enters the picture, one bite changes everything, and suddenly the entire Ingalls family is convinced Laura is going to die from rabies.

Riley and Amanda also dive into the real science behind rabies, why the disease was so terrifying before vaccines existed, what rabies actually looks like in humans, and why watching Jack for symptoms somehow became the entire treatment plan. They also swap their own dog bite stories, discuss childhood stuffed animal trauma, debate whether Charles was right to take Jasper away, and question why absolutely no one thought to simply keep the dog away from the raccoon.

The emotional damage doesn't stop there. Charles nearly shoots Jack. Laura spends most of the episode believing she might die. Mary has one of Melissa Sue Anderson's strongest acting performances yet. And Michael Landon somehow manages to squeeze an extended shirtless suspense sequence into an episode about rabies.

Trauma Meter: 8/10 — Animal peril, childhood illness fears, crying children, and enough emotional manipulation to qualify as psychological warfare.

Survivability Rating: 6/10 — Everyone lives, but your nervous system definitely takes a beating.

Charles Shirtless Count: 1 — Extended shirtless barn sequence. Somehow both fan service and a horror movie.

Big Opinion: Maybe... just maybe... don't let your child keep a wild raccoon as a pet and then allow it to interact with the family dog.

Little House, Big Opinions is a Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast hosted by two former church kids processing their childhood in real time. Every week, Riley and Amanda revisit another episode of the beloved series, breaking down the nostalgia, history, trauma, humor, and completely unhinged moments that somehow made it into family television.

New episodes every week wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @littlehousebigopinions.

Yesteryear Deep Dive + Little House Reboot Predictions (Special Episode) | Little House, Big Opinions Podcast

In this special episode of Little House, Big Opinions — the Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast for people unpacking their childhood in real time — Riley and Amanda take a break from their Season 1 rewatch to discuss one of the year's most talked-about literary fiction releases: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Spoiler warning: We discuss the entire novel, including the ending, major twists, and character arcs.

Yesteryear follows Natalie, a wildly successful trad-wife influencer who suddenly wakes up believing she's living as a pioneer woman in 1855. As reality begins unraveling, the novel explores social media, evangelical culture, motherhood, mental illness, performative perfection, and the unsettling gap between the life we sell online and the one we're actually living.

This week on the podcast: Riley and Amanda unpack why Natalie is one of the most fascinating unlikeable protagonists they've read in years, debate whether she's a victim, a villain, or both, discuss religious trauma, influencer culture, parasocial relationships, and why the book's biggest twist completely caught them off guard. They also compare Yesteryear to Little House on the Prairie, examining how both stories romanticize prairie life while revealing the realities beneath the nostalgia.

Then things take a turn.

The girls imagine what every major Little House on the Prairie character would be doing if they lived in 2026. Charles Ingalls accidentally ends up with an OnlyFans. Caroline becomes either the world's most wholesome teacher or a trad-wife influencer who actually tells the truth. Laura grows up to be a romance author, nature activist, or horse therapist. Mary launches an unbearably judgmental trad-wife course. Nellie Oleson reinvents herself as either a Manhattan socialite or a surprisingly lovable beige mom. Miss Beadle quietly works from home doing the absolute bare minimum.

Finally, Riley and Amanda dive into their hopes (and concerns) for the upcoming Little House on the Prairie reboot. Will it stay family-friendly? Will side characters finally get full story arcs? Why is Carrie missing? How closely will it follow the books? And why they think people calling the reboot "too woke" may have forgotten that the original series was already pushing social boundaries decades ago.

Book Discussion Topics:

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

• Trad-wife influencers and social media culture

• Religious trauma and evangelicalism

• Mental illness and unreliable narrators

• Prairie life vs. the fantasy of simple living

• Character analysis and literary themes

Little House Discussion Topics:

• Modern careers for Charles, Caroline, Laura, Mary, Nellie, and Miss Beadle

• Predictions for the new Little House on the Prairie adaptation

• Why the original series was more progressive than many people remember

• What we're most excited (and nervous) to see in the reboot

Little House, Big Opinions is a Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast hosted by two former church kids processing their childhood in real time. Each week, Riley and Amanda revisit the beloved series one episode at a time, unpacking the nostalgia, trauma, history, humor, and wildly unhinged moments they somehow missed as kids.

New episodes every week wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok @littlehousebigopinions.

In this episode of the Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast, Riley and Amanda are back in Walnut Grove for Season 1, Episode 9 — School Mom — and it might just be the most chaotic substitute teacher situation in prairie history.

Miss Beadle is conveniently off her feet, which means Carolyn steps up to take over the classroom. Harriet Olson also attempts to step up — emphasis on attempts, because the kids find out and simply do not show up. Willie Olson's explanation? "That's the trouble." We are not taking further questions.

This week: Carolyn writes "understanding and compassion" on the board and delivers the most devastating burn in Walnut Grove history directed squarely at Mrs. Olson. Abel — a student who looks suspiciously like a 22-year-old man — struggles to keep up while the other kids are kind of terrible about it. Miss Beadle receives a standing ovation and responds by immediately walking away. Charles is reading a book about painting despite nothing in their house being painted. And Harriet appears to have made some very 2026 dietary decisions.

Trauma meter: 0.

Survivability: high.

Charles count: 1.

Most bizarre moment: Pa's mysterious interest in home improvement he will absolutely never pursue.

Little House, Big Opinions is the Little House on the Prairie rewatch podcast where two best friends revisit Walnut Grove, one episode and one opinion at a time. New episodes every Wednesday and Thursday.

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