TV
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
New ‘Little House’ sparks debate about more modern Caroline Ingalls
Laura TrujilloUSA TODAY
July 13, 2026, 1:39 p.m. ET
Warning: This story contains spoilers from Netflix’s reboot of “Little House on the Prairie,” streaming now
Conversations swirled around Netflix reboot of the beloved “Little House on the Prairie,” in the first days after its debut – whether it accurately portrays white settlers heading west, the Osage people displaced by that move, as well as if it appropriate homage to Michael Landon’s original, down to the correct sun bonnet. Many wondered if it needed to be made at all
But there’s one scene with just four words of dialogue that’s really dividing viewers
Caroline Ingalls waits near a campfire for her husband, her corset and petticoats snatched at the waist, giving romantic Dôen vibes, her skin sun kissed and makeup free, and red hair flowing and wavy. She’s been up all night, guarding their daughters in their covered wagon from wolves
Charles Ingalls has just returned from an unexpected night away. He’s giving all the Pa charm as he smiles to tell her about the land he’s found for them to build a house
Instead, she snaps: “Make your own breakfast.”
In that scene, not 20 minutes into the first episode, Ma no longer is simply the loving matriarch of the pioneer family helplessly following her husband across the plains that we remember from the 1970s series
She’s traditional, but not a tradwife. She doesn’t cede all control to her husband. She stands up for herself and for others
In one camp, there are viewers (and readers) who think Caroline “would never.” They saw her as strong-willed but devoted to her husband. In the other, there are those who think it was time to show what probably actually happened on the prairie
A new generation of women is discovering Caroline in a divided political and cultural moment. Our TikTok feeds are filled with women rhapsodizing about motherhood and baking their own sourdough with their adorable toddlers in matching neutral linens. (Subscribe to their Substack for their soup recipes!) Cottagecore, an aesthetic that romanticizes a rural lifestyle, is gaining popularity along with a return to handcrafted arts like embroidery and cross stitch
After decades of women being told they can have it all, some are embracing domesticity and traditional roles while others say marriage is no longer a worthy pursuit at all. Almost half of all women don’t view marriage as an important element of a fulfilling life, according to a 2023 survey by Pew Research. The fertility rate in the United States has fallen to the lowest level even as Donald Trump has called himself the “fertilization president,” pushing pro-baby policies as he restricts the rights of women.
About three in four moms with children under age 18 are working while childcare costs surge, and they still carry the mental load of scheduling children’s doctor appointments and shuttling them to club sports – and don’t forget to bring the navy-blue home jersey
Crystal Crabtree, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mom of five in north central California, sees some of herself in Caroline
“People are saying Caroline would never do this. She’s very traditional, cooking and taking care of the girls. But she isn’t the perfect pioneer mom, she was a woman and a mom. She wasn’t a pushover with her husband,” says Crabtree, who lives next door to her grandparents in the Sears kit home her great grandparents once owned. “Caroline is so much stronger in the new series. It’s refreshing to see.”
Crabtree grew up with “Little House” reruns in the background of her parent’s house. She and her husband recently started watching the original series, drawn by the Ingalls’ deep faith in God, something that guides their own family
The Ingalls’ cabin in the reboot is more cottagecore than rustic. Pottery that looks like vintage Bauer sits atop a hand-hewn wood table. Her wardrobe includes eyelet dresses and hand-woven straw bonnets. Yet Caroline represents more than pioneer porn
“In so many ways, we want that slow life that we see on the prairie,” she says
As some families try to escape the 24-7 connectiveness and chaos, the show is a welcome piece of wholesomeness
Rylee Long loved Caroline in the original show – her outspokenness, but also her devotion to her husband. She sees the new show going too far
Long lives in East Tennessee with her husband and their little boy. She grows her own vegetables and cans them, bakes homemade focaccia bread and crochets
“Most women now want to be very independent and they have the ‘I don’t need a man’ attitude.’ But I very much love my husband and value our traditional marriage,” Long says. “Charles and Caroline had that in the original and it was very nice to see how a healthy marriage worked.”
In the new series, Caroline assures her husband she is “strong and capable.”
In a quiet scene in the new series when Caroline and her husband are faced with more hardship as homesteaders, she doesn’t allow his voice to be the only one
“The whole time we were making the trip from Wisconsin, I kept thinking of who we’d become out here. What kind of people we’d be. Now I can hardly imagine the people we were,” she says. “I can hardly imagine not being here. It’s everything we wanted, isn’t it.”
The new show doesn’t follow the original or the books exactly. And in truth, neither of them followed real life either. Laura Ingalls Wilder glossed over difficulties on the prairie from near famine to racism
The 2026 version has mostly lost its religion, ditching the Rev. Robert Alden’s sermons for the golden rule, but it has kept its moral compass, highlighting helping your neighbor, empathy and equality
Only this time, Caroline is helping push that agenda
