Melissa Gilbert's Favorite Little House On The Prairie Storyline Is An Epic Tearjerker

"Little House on the Prairie" was a heartwarming, family-oriented hit that offered viewers a gentler vision of life in the 1800s Midwest, but the central Ingalls family was never without hardship. One especially devastating story became star Melissa Gilbert's favorite of the series.

Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls for nine seasons of one of the best Western shows of all time, told USA Today in 2024 that her favorite storyline was Season 1's two-part "The Lord Is My Shepherd." The story spans Episodes 13 and 14, which aired in December 1974.

"The Lord Is My Shepherd" centers on the birth of Charles, a new baby boy in the Ingalls family. Laura, the second-oldest Ingalls sibling, grows jealous when her new brother becomes the focus of the family's attention. As a result, she decides against joining her family in praying for him, but when Charles Jr. becomes ill and dies, she blames herself for his death and runs away from home, overwhelmed by guilt.

Melissa Gilbert's favorite thing about "The Lord Is My Shepherd" was how it showcased her close on-set bond with Michael Landon. "It is the clearest portrayal of my personal relationship with Michael," Gilbert explained to USA Today. "The chemistry is palpable. It's all on screen."

Landon played Laura's father, Charles Ingalls, and also wrote and directed the two-part story, which follows Laura as she runs away from home in the wake of her grief. It culminates in Charles' desperate search for his daughter, who comes to realize how important she is to her loving father. The story is a powerful showcase for Gilbert and Landon's chemistry as performers, as well as the father-daughter bond at the heart of the series.

Landon's work on "The Lord Is My Shepherd," both in front of and behind the camera, helps explain why the episode remained so meaningful to Gilbert decades later.