Little House on the Prairie Star Admits One Controversial Plotline Nearly Derailed Her Career

Little House on the Prairie ended in 1983 after nine seasons on NBC, but it still finds new ways to spark conversation. Case in point: at the show’s 50th Anniversary Reunion, Karen Grassle — forever Ma Ingalls to a whole generation — admitted there’s one storyline she still can’t stand. And honestly, given the way TV used to write women, I get why it stuck in her craw.

The plot twist that never sat right

Grassle, now 83, told the reunion crowd (via People) that the Season 7, Episode 20 arc where Caroline thinks she’s pregnant, only to learn she’s entering menopause, was a breaking point for her. Not because it was taboo, but because of what it implied about Ma’s value.

"They wrote that Ma stopped having her period and she thought she was pregnant, and then they wrote that, no, no, she’s going through menopause. And I was like, give me a break."

"They wrote that my purpose in life was going away, and I was like, No! No! It’s a wonderful thing to give birth, but give me a break."

Why it was tough to play

Grassle said she worried the storyline could hurt her career at the time, and it made the actual performance miserable. She could not bring her full self to the scene and still feels she did not do good work there. She added that actors are taught not to judge their characters, just live inside them — but this particular arc tested that discipline hard.

The bigger picture

Caroline Ingalls has become a TV icon — a steady, resilient center of that world — and Little House remains one of the most widely recognized series of its era. That’s partly why this behind-the-scenes detail is so striking: even in a show known for earnest, family-first storytelling, there were creative choices that made its lead actress wince.

• The show: Little House on the Prairie ran nine seasons on NBC and wrapped in 1983.
• The event: Grassle’s comments came during the 50th Anniversary Reunion, at age 83 (via People).
• The episode: Season 7, Episode 20 — Ma thinks she’s pregnant, learns it’s menopause.
• Her reaction then: feared the arc could damage her career.
• Her reaction now: says it was hard to play, never felt she nailed the scene, and she strongly disliked the message that Ma’s purpose hinged on childbearing.
• The legacy: despite that misstep in her eyes, the show and Ma Ingalls still loom large in TV history.