Freedom Flight

Full of some 1970's native-American clichés - broken English, stoic native, etc - but really good episode. No surprise it was directed by Michael Landon himself - good story - excellent ending - sort of a precursor to PALE RIDER in tone and depth (not plot). 'The sun will still rise tomorrow.' Really enjoyed the twists and turns and surprises. The ending was really powerful - and slightly enigmatic.

Camera-work is interesting too - storytelling just really well paced and balanced - especially for what is NOT said - instead of a cheesy line - often they opt for silence. Don't want to give away too much re. the plot - but watch it!

Anybody who watched Michael Landon in Bonanza got to see him fighting Indians once in a while. I can't recall, but I'm sure there was a time or two when they even made peace with them. But Little House on the Prairie is all about peace. I think there's only a time or two we ever see a shootout, and it's not among the Indians (unless you'd count Laura's wild dream in a season or two a shootout among Indians).

We see the softer side of life. It's just a small group of Indians who were unhappy at the treatment they received by the government wanting to ride to some distant land and live peacefully. There are a couple good points in this episode, as well as a hope that maybe things like this really did exist.

Every time I watch this, I cringe at the scene where Mary calls them savages. Mary is always the more loving of the bunch, and this just seemed way out of character for her.

By the way, the young man at the beginning of this episode who warned of the Indian attack was not credited for his part...

It seems to me that the Indian Chief, when he finally got up from his stroke and went down to the water to pray, knew that he was going to die...and did. When MacGregor came back with the soldiers and their Gatling gun, what you saw was the deceased chief on top of that rack with the fire blazing below. He was being cremated.

Maybe I'm stupid but I don't understand the ending.. befote the troopers came to kill the indians, we saw this old man chanting and prayinng, expecting to be killed and next, they were all gone ?? Please, someone, explain to me what happened ?