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It is true that Mary Ingalls went blind, but as with so many things with this show, the true events from the Ingalls lives were overdramatized. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote in her books about the quiet grace and dignity with which Mary went blind. She never screamed or railed against her fate. She accepted it with extreme strength. While I probably would react like Melissa Sue Anderson acted, it was not true to the story. I always felt like it took away from the character of the true Mary Ingalls.

This was one of the more touching and memorable episodes of the series. I love Highway to Heaven and can pretty much watch any of the episodes at any time, but I take the time to watch this one when I come across it. Sure, the main antagonist is a bit over-the-top, but it was in contrast to the mild manner of the man. The Hawaiian singing at the end was hauntingly beautiful too. One of my favorites.

I really enjoyed this episode, as I do anything that Mr. Spielberg acted in. He was an unassuming yet inspirational local politician. This story was in the typical Michael Landon format with the uncertainty ironed out at the end. That's what made his so successful with his last two series. The only problem with this episode was Ken Kercheval. While he played the "evil" role well, his acting was marred by the fact he seemed to be under the influence while filming. He was the same way at times while on Dallas, so perhaps it was his acting style, but his facial expressions seemed to be that of someone who was drunk but yet wanted to maintain their composure. That just might be my imagination, but either way, it detracted attention away from the storyline either way.