It’s time for another little podcast on the prairie. Steve Barnes and I got together to chat about the new version of *Little House on the Prairie* coming to Netflix on July 9, 2026. Update: We’ve already watched all eight episodes of the first season, and I have recaps and a full review ready for the podcast. Find all my content regarding *Little House on the Prairie* here.
In this preview podcast, we discuss how the series came about and who the creators are, the actors cast in the roles, what we see in the trailer, and some social media buzz we’ve heard. This preview is for anyone wanting to get ready for the new series.
Creator: Rebecca Sonnenshine
Stars: Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, Alice Halsey
Steve Barnes is a guitarist for the stoner metal band Introvoid and also plays guitar in the cover band Rebecca Crow.
Lindsey Dunn is a film critic and a member of the NC Film Critics and Southeastern Film Critics associations. Her interests include independent horror films, complex relationships, and the intersection of cinema and faith.
Have you ever wondered why the Kansas state song, "Home on the Range," begins with the lyrics, "Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam"? I’d wager it’s because building a home there was no easy task.
That’s the trouble with the prairies: there isn't much timber available. Add wildfires and blizzards to the mix, and you begin to understand why, in 1819, explorer Stephen Long described the state as "almost wholly unfit for cultivation, and of course uninhabitable by a people depending upon agriculture for their subsistence." As a Kansan, I find that a pretty harsh description, Mr. Long.
But none of that stopped settlers from expanding westward—nor did it stop the Ingalls family. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical novel *Little House on the Prairie*—a reflection on her brief time in southern Kansas—has been an American literary classic since its 1935 publication, enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to the 1974 television series of the same name.
Now, Netflix is venturing into an adaptation of the novel with an eight-episode season. It is well known that Wilder altered certain historical details in *Little House on the Prairie* to craft a more compelling narrative, and this version follows the author's lead. Notably, the series introduces numerous new characters—some based on figures from the book, others entirely fictional—each with a fascinating backstory. This includes a deeper look into the lives of Osage characters grappling with the gradual arrival of settlers—a storyline that trusts the audience to draw their own conclusions rather than resorting to moralizing.
Like the original story, the Netflix adaptation avoids an overly grim tone. While it does address historical themes common to the era—such as Civil War veterans suffering from PTSD, marital scandals, alcoholism, and the death of family members—it handles them with restraint. Any other Netflix original might have exploited these subjects with gratuitous violence or sex, but *Little House on the Prairie* strives to maintain a relatively wholesome tone, offering only subtle hints at such matters. In terms of content, the most intense moment in the first season occurs when Caroline loses her balance on a log and crushes her foot, resulting in severe purple bruising and a bit of blood. (We have also reviewed every episode of the first season, so feel free to check those out below.)
Instead of sensationalism, *Little House on the Prairie* delivers a wholesome, heartwarming experience filled with endearing characters and touching moments, interspersed with the stress, worry, and danger inherent to frontier life.
Is this the most realistic portrayal of frontier life? No, of course not. But it is an entertaining movie that promises that, even when difficulties arise, the sky won't be cloudy all day.
The Ingalls arrive in Independence, and Charles looks for a plot of land to build their home.
Caroline loses her balance while holding a log, which falls on her foot. We hear the bone crack, and later, we see her foot bleeding, swollen, and bruised. The family nearly overturns their wagon while crossing a river, and the dog is swept away by the current. (He later returns to them.) The town doctor, George Tamm, bandages a bleeding wound on Caroline's hand. Someone warns the Ingalls family that both men and women are equally likely to kidnap Laura and Mary. A man pulls out a gun, and Charles disarms him, knocking him to the ground.
Charles and Caroline kiss. George asks Caroline if she has had her period, and she reveals that she is pregnant. Caroline mentions that she has suffered several miscarriages.
Charles and another settler, John Edwards, begin working on Charles's house, but Caroline discovers that John is an alcoholic.
There is a reference to "men of God" moving West. Charles describes John as a "blessing." Someone describes the Civil War as a conflict "cursed by God."
Two women and a man attempt to kidnap Mary and Laura, but the girls are saved when a man points a gun at the trio. When initially grabbed, Laura bites the hand of her would-be kidnapper.
John makes and sells his own whiskey, and a woman tells Caroline that he is a drunkard. Later, when Caroline finds John drinking from a flask, he claims he only does so at night so it won't interfere with building the cabin. Caroline tells John the story of a drunken ship captain who caused his men to drown, and warns him not to do the same to his family.
Someone hints that John and a woman "know each other" intimately, suggesting a relationship beyond friendship. In one scene, shirtless Native American men pass by the family.
The Ingalls family goes to town to celebrate the opening of a new post office and receives letters from family in Wisconsin.
Charles and Caroline kiss a few times. Emily, the general store owner, tells the town doctor, George, that she has "always been interested in anatomy." Then, realizing the unintended flirtatious connotation of her remark, she clarifies: "science, in general, I mean."
Men from the Osage tribe break into the Ingalls' home and rob them, terrifying Caroline and Mary. A young girl faints due to illness.
Someone remarks that a man "hasn't even been to church." A man asks Charles if he would like to help build a church for Independence, and Charles replies that it would be an honor. A Catholic man sends a letter to Mitchell, an Osage tribe member who attended a Catholic school. A cross hangs in Mitchell's home.
When malaria strikes Independence and the Ingalls family falls ill, George desperately seeks quinine to treat the townspeople. Meanwhile, the Ingalls family suffers from hallucinations caused by the illness.
An Osage woman prays in her native language, asking her god to protect Laura. Later, she offers a morning prayer thanking Wah’Kon-Tah—the supreme Osage life force—for the past, present, and future. The woman, White Sun, is married to Mitchell and also attended a Catholic school; they have a cross on the wall, making it unclear whether White Sun clings solely to her Osage beliefs or has syncretized both faiths. The Ingalls family sings the hymn "Life Let Us Cherish."
A scene strongly implies that a Civil War veteran suffering from PTSD drowned in a lake (footprints in the sand lead toward the water). Some people fall ill and faint.
George discovers that a woman has been hoarding a supply of quinine, but she refuses to hand it over when he asks for it.
When Caroline takes Laura and Mary to a Women's Society event, the rough-and-tumble Laura struggles to fit in with the girls who have impeccable, refined manners. Meanwhile, Charles and the town men build a church until they are forced to chase after a horse thief.
A man named Adam helps Charles dig a well but faints and nearly dies after breathing foul air that had accumulated in the hole (Charles pulls him out and saves his life). Men restrain another man—whose face is bruised and covered in dried blood—accusing him of stealing horses. An Osage man prepares a dead fox.
A man and a woman flirt with each other. Some girls look at paintings of Osage men wearing loincloths, and one remarks that they shouldn't be looking at "half-naked men." Charles and Caroline kiss.
Eli says that when he first set foot on the land in Independence, he felt the presence of the Lord. "Let us give this town a place to worship!" he proclaims. It is mentioned that the U.S. representative to the Osage is a Quaker. The women discuss bringing a reverend to town for the church. John sings the hymn "In the Sweet By and By."
The woman leading the Women's Society tells Emily, a Black woman, that attendance is reserved for married women and denies her entry. However, when another woman mentions that she isn't married either, Caroline realizes that Emily was barred because of the color of her skin. Some girls gossip about a boy whose parents left him behind during the journey West, and they make fun of him.
A man talks about how he overcame his alcoholism. Several men drink liquor.
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