Remember Me is Disturbing...Here is Why...

[Jack1000]

Guys,

I can not watch the opening scene of "Remember Me" It is difficult for me to write this. That's the one where Mrs. Sanderson learns that she has a terminal illness and asks Charles to help her find a home for her 3 children....Here is what frightens me:

The opening scene shows a disturbed man stealing some puppies from a barn while the mother dog looks on. He takes the little puppies, puts them in a sack and throws the sack into the creek!!! OMG!!! I thought that this was supposed to be a family show. Fortunatly, Mary and Laura see that he has puppies in the sack and rush to save the little guys. Thank God they are found ok!!! But as an animal lover and owner of the cutest little dog in the world...I cry hard when I see that scene and I just want everyone to know that I remember having nightmares when I first saw that scene....What was Michael Landon or whoever wrote that into the script thinking? Now whenever I see part I of Remember Me, I got to turn it off. I can't stand to see that. This makes the "baby" scene in "May We Make Them Pround" like nothing!

The rest of the episode is very moving but that opening is just aweful!

Jack

[Cashodeen]

Yeah, the beginning of "Remember Me" is absolutely horrifying. I don't see why they would put a scene like that in there. It was completely absurd. Since those puppies later became part of the story line when Alicia adopted one, why in the world couldn't they have just written that first scene in a different way? It would have been much better if Laura and Mary saw someone in a wagon, stop, take the puppies out, and then leave them off in the middle of the field. Seeing someone abandon animals is at least better than seeing some psycho attempt to kill them. Among the worst scenes in the whole series. And I agree about "May We Make Them Proud." I can stomach the scene in that episode better than this one.

[ThomasE]

Originally posted by Cashodeen
Yeah, the beginning of "Remember Me" is absolutely horrifying. I don't see why they would put a scene like that in there. It was completely absurd. Since those puppies later became part of the story line when Alicia adopted one, why in the world couldn't they have just written that first scene in a different way? It would have been much better if Laura and Mary saw someone in a wagon, stop, take the puppies out, and then leave them off in the middle of the field. Seeing someone abandon animals is at least better than seeing some psycho attempt to kill them. Among the worst scenes in the whole series. And I agree about "May We Make Them Proud." I can stomach the scene in that episode better than this one.

I didn't think too much about horror when those little puppies were drowning. I would keep it in because it is an emotional thing and it hurt me too but I am glad that Laura and Mary rescued them. "Remember Me is emotional. When I saw that the woman (Julia Sanderson)was going to die, there was a show of her running to her children to greet them from a far distance, I cried on that part. "May we make them proud was one of the worst storylines Michael Landon ever came up with. Mary went Blind, miscarried her first child, thought she was going to see again, then when she does have another baby, the baby is killed in a fire. That is a very emotional scene and depressing but I don't think it should have been done. NO WAY! Then Melissa Gilbert gets to be a teacher, then have a baby and then gets all the good things happenening to her, I thought that was kind of unbalanced, and not to make any reference to Mary or have her back at least on the last episode was messed up. Mary going blind was the number one event on that show that depressed me.

I talked to Hersha Parardy Alice Garvey and she thought it was cool how the visual effects were done when they killed off her character. This in part was done in an attempt to give Merlin Olsen his own show, "Father Murphy" gradually there was a phasing out of the Garvey Family. She enjoyed her Little House days, though from what she told me.

[Penny Lane]

I think that Michael Landon was going for realism. In those days unwanted animals were usually drowned or shot. There was no extra money spent on "Putting animals to sleep"( if that was even done then!) That's just the way they took care of things then. Inhumane, yes, but facts are facts!

[Brady Fan]

Yea the first time I saw that one I was horrified. But everytime I see it I just remember that Laura and Mary rescue them and they're ok.

[Jrnygrl]

Originally posted by Penny Lane
I think that Michael Landon was going for realism. In those days unwanted animals were usually drowned or shot. There was no extra money spent on "Putting animals to sleep"( if that was even done then!) That's just the way they took care of things then. Inhumane, yes, but facts are facts!

Penny Lane is correct. I was going to say the same thing, this is the way it was done. I don't think any harm was meant. Just keeping it real.

I think this is one of the most saddest episodes that was made. The one thing that I always think about is the poem that was read. Does anyone know who wrote it or know the words to the poem. I would really like to have it.

[PracTz]

Originally posted by Jrnygrl
Penny Lane is correct. I was going to say the same thing, this is the way it was done. I don't think any harm was meant. Just keeping it real.

I think this is one of the most saddest episodes that was made. The one thing that I always think about is the poem that was read. Does anyone know who wrote it or know the words to the poem. I would really like to have it.

It wasn't the much-quoted poem (which Landon himself insisted on being read for his own memorial) that got to me to the most. What did it was the scene in which, (after she had quietly told her children the grim prognosis but reassured them that they'd always be together and that it would be good for her to be reunited with their father and tried to keep them as upbeat as possible), she put them to bed then sat down in her rocking chair alone and finally allowed herself a good quiet cry over her dying and leaving her children orphaned! VERY realistic for pioneer women back then and very human. Patricia Neal did such a phenomenal job here it's too bad we only got to see her character that one episode!

[Penny Lane]

Originally posted by PracTz
It wasn't the much-quoted poem (which Landon himself insisted on being read for his own memorial) that got to me to the most. What did it was the scene in which, (after she had quietly told her children the grim prognosis but reassured them that they'd always be together and that it would be good for her to be reunited with their father and tried to keep them as upbeat as possible), she put them to bed then sat down in her rocking chair alone and finally allowed herself a good quiet cry over her dying and leaving her children orphaned! VERY realistic for pioneer women back then and very human. Patricia Neal did such a phenomenal job here it's too bad we only got to see her character that one episode!

I agree! Patricia Neal is one of Hollywood's treasures!

[Mijada]

Originally posted by Jrnygrl
Does anyone know who wrote it or know the words to the poem. I would really like to have it.

Remember me with smiles and laughter
For that's the way I'll remember you all
If you can only remember me with tears
than don't remember me at all

I believe Michael Landon wrote it but not sure on that.

[~Tropical Punch 19~]

Originally posted by Mijada
Remember me with smiles and laughter
For that's the way I'll remember you all
If you can only remember me with tears
than don't remember me at all

I believe Michael Landon wrote it but not sure on that.

MichaelLandon did write it.

[tmb110]

While I did find the near drowning of the puppies upsetting I do think there was a reason it was in the episode. The young puppies are taken from their mother only to be thrown into a certain death without the help of Mary and Laura. The three children of the dying mother would have faced the same ordeal if Charles did not find a place for them to go after their mother was taken away from them. In my opinion, the attempt to drown the pups was foreshadowing the children being taken from their mother with an uncertainty of if they would survive without her.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by tmb110

While I did find the near drowning of the puppies upsetting I do think there was a reason it was in the episode. The young puppies are taken from their mother only to be thrown into a certain death without the help of Mary and Laura. The three children of the dying mother would have faced the same ordeal if Charles did not find a place for them to go after their mother was taken away from them. In my opinion, the attempt to drown the pups was foreshadowing the children being taken from their mother with an uncertainty of if they would survive without her.

I agree. I was going to say the same thing that the others had posted abt the drowning of the animals. Unfortunately, that was the way things were done when a litter of pups or kittens were unwanted, they usually put them in a bag and drowned them. Sad yes, but it's something that was done then. Unfortunately, it still happens, not to mention the other inhumane things that are done to animals.

[seventies_sitcoms]

Originally Posted by Jack1000

Guys,

I can not watch the opening scene of "Remember Me" It is difficult for me to write this. That's the one where Mrs. Sanderson learns that she has a terminal illness and asks Charles to help her find a home for her 3 children....Here is what frightens me:

The opening scene shows a disturbed man stealing some puppies from a barn while the mother dog looks on. He takes the little puppies, puts them in a sack and throws the sack into the creek!!! OMG!!! I thought that this was supposed to be a family show. Fortunatly, Mary and Laura see that he has puppies in the sack and rush to save the little guys. Thank God they are found ok!!! But as an animal lover and owner of the cutest little dog in the world...I cry hard when I see that scene and I just want everyone to know that I remember having nightmares when I first saw that scene....What was Michael Landon or whoever wrote that into the script thinking? Now whenever I see part I of Remember Me, I got to turn it off. I can't stand to see that. This makes the "baby" scene in "May We Make Them Pround" like nothing!

The rest of the episode is very moving but that opening is just aweful!

Jack

I have to say I never liked Remember Me even though it is supposed to be one of the landmark episodes of the series. I can watch the blind school burn, Ma performing surgery on her leg, and whatever else, but I just can't stand Remember Me.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by seventies_sitcoms

I have to say I never liked Remember Me even though it is supposed to be one of the landmark episodes of the series. I can watch the blind school burn, Ma performing surgery on her leg, and whatever else, but I just can't stand Remember Me.

I always watch that episode up until the puppies are saved and then I change the channel. I don't like the episodes simply because it bores me.

And then Michael Landon recycles the episode towards the later years when it deals with Cassandra and her brother and Mr. Ingalls adopts them. My God, how many times can he butt in??????

[seventies_sitcoms]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

I didn't think too much about horror when those little puppies were drowning. I would keep it in because it is an emotional thing and it hurt me too but I am glad that Laura and Mary rescued them. "Remember Me is emotional. When I saw that the woman (Julia Sanderson)was going to die, there was a show of her running to her children to greet them from a far distance, I cried on that part. "May we make them proud was one of the worst storylines Michael Landon ever came up with. Mary went Blind, miscarried her first child, thought she was going to see again, then when she does have another baby, the baby is killed in a fire. That is a very emotional scene and depressing but I don't think it should have been done. NO WAY! Then Melissa Gilbert gets to be a teacher, then have a baby and then gets all the good things happenening to her, I thought that was kind of unbalanced, and not to make any reference to Mary or have her back at least on the last episode was messed up. Mary going blind was the number one event on that show that depressed me.

I talked to Hersha Parardy Alice Garvey and she thought it was cool how the visual effects were done when they killed off her character. This in part was done in an attempt to give Merlin Olsen his own show, "Father Murphy" gradually there was a phasing out of the Garvey Family. She enjoyed her Little House days, though from what she told me.

Didn't Hersha work with a few prop windows before filming, but Michael Landon secretly used one that didn't break forcing her to put up more of a struggle of breaking it out?