Accidental Hero: Jeb Standish tries to release one of the fireworks his father kept in the cellar, unaware that this is what the people wanted but his father vetoed, only to accidentally lit all the fireworks, setting an espetacle for the 4th of July which causes great damage to his greedy father. It's also the final nail to motivate the Ingalls and Garveys to move back to Walnut Grove.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: When the fireworks destroy the saloon and a drunken Nels lays on the table, Harriet risks her life to drag him away, even though he was planning on going back to Walnut Grove without her. She also pays attention to all the momey he got in the wheel, but that's after she was trying to rescue him.
Comedic Sociopathy and Domestic Abuse: Probably the only episode where Nels outright threatens his wife with physical harm. The scene comes when Nels is trying (nicely) to get Nellie and Willie to help with fixing up the town, they balk and he gets angry and tells them to get to work. Mrs. Oleson has overheard the whole thing and comes out to scold her husband. "Since when do you wear the pants in this family?" she says in an ill-advised attempt to reprimand her husband. Pulling out a scythe and showing it to her, Nels roars back, "Since I've got this! NOW GET TO WORK, WOMAN! NNNNNNOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!" Sending Mrs. Oleson off in sheer (comic) terror. Then, in the same tone of voice, Nels gleefully then calls out for the rest of the town to get to work.
A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: Toby doesn't last as a rich man. Within a few hours of gambling, Standish robs him of his $5000, even forcing him to give up on the fireworks he was going to release at the Ingalls and Garveys' request.
A more comedic example after Nels, in drunken stupor, starts betting money on the table and has a series of victories, gaining a small fortune. His wife blows it all off on things for herself and their children.
Ghost Town: What Walnut Grove has virtually become after everyone — except for Dr. Baker, Rev. Alden and Mr. Hanson — has moved away.
Real Life Writes the Plot: Karl Swenson fell terminally ill in the spring of 1978, and it was clear that his health would only allow him to complete one last story arc, where he doesn't appear that often on-camera; less than three months after this episode was filmed, Swenson passed away at age 70. Swenson's illness led to the concluding hour or so of this five-week-long story arc which included Mr. Hanson's illness and eventual death.
Special Guest: Ray Bolger, best known for his role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, plays loveable Winoka drifter Toby Noe in part one of the two-parter, and would return in a later season 5 episode, "Dance with Me".
There's No Place Like Home: Why not, with the episode title bearing it out. It's a bittersweet return at first – the town in disrepair, and its founding father and face of the community despondent and desperately ill. However, with a little TLC, the town becomes vibrant again.
Younger Than They Look: Charles approaches a dillusioned farmer, Miles Caulder, to help restore the town. Caulder shows him his fragile, elderly-looking wife, who seems old enough to be his mother, and reveals that's the result of their losing everything they worked hard for during 15 years during the bankrupcy of Walnut Grove — she's 45! Later on, Caulder reveals that his wife got up from the chair and started sweeping, implying that at least her strength is coming back.
