I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away 5/10

It looks like the bed has been moved downstairs from the loft since Laura is making the bed in the common area as Mary sits in the rocker. Laura asks if she can get Mary something, but Mary curtly says no. Laura lists a couple beverage options, but Mary is all "I told you no." Jeez, I don't want to sit next to her on my next flight. Mary is just staring off with an angry look on her face. Laura tries a new tact by telling her sister that she just ironed a dress and she can help Mary change. This just angers the girl even more as she yells "no." Laura desperately wants to interact with Mary, so she offers to brush her hair. Mary says she can do that, causing Laura to say "well, you haven't. It needs it." To be fair, Laura isn't catty when she says it, but I still think it's funny. Mary isn't laughing and says she doesn't need to brush her hair since no one is going to come by to see her. Not with that attitude.

Caroline comes in and greets the girls cheerfully, but Laura silently shakes her head to let her Ma know that now is not smiles time. As Caroline hangs up her bonnet she announces that she'll start making lunch. Mary says she isn't hungry causing Laura to give up on interacting. Laura tells Ma that she can rejoin Carrie at school and eat lunch there. Wait, Laura has to miss school to be caretaker? Where's Pa? It's not like he's working now.

Anyway, Laura leaves and Caroline decides to have a sit down with Mary. Ma tells Mary about the conversation with Doc Baker and the school for the blind. Mary is in pity party mode and is not all that receptive to the whole school idea. She asks if the school can make her a teacher -- not in the "can I finish my degree in three years?" way, more like the "how can I play Chopin with stumps for hands?" way. Caroline tries to negotiate with Mary, but the girl is dead set on shutting her Ma down. This is when Caroline drops the bomb about shipping off Mary. "You just want to get me out from under foot," Mary accuses. Caroline denies this, though she it should be noted she hesitated a second before saying so. Mary starts to cry that she doesn't want to get sent away and having complete strangers feeling sorry for her. You know, based on her life before the blindness, I thought Mary enjoyed having people feel sorry for her. Maybe it's the fact that it's strangers that makes it a turn-off. Whatevs.

Caroline tries to make the point that Mary can't spend her life sitting in a rocking chair. Mary screams back "why not?!" and Caroline gets that look on her face that says "I will cut you". Mary restarts the pity party and starts to talk about the darkness again. When Ma doesn't respond right away, Mary figures out that her parents have already started the enrollment process. Caroline confirms this and gets up to make lunch.

Meanwhile, over at the livery, Laura is chatting up Seth. He admits that he hasn't visited the Ingalls' place for a while but it isn't because of the blindness. Laura asks for the real reason and he says it's because he wouldn't know what to say. The audio is really weird here, like Laura is yelling into a tin can while stressing the wrong syllables. She tells him that Mary needs him more than ever and then starts to weep. "I love my sister," she wails, "I thought that you did too!" Laura runs off. Apparently she's over the whole jilted thing. Either that or she is trying to set herself up for a rebound down the road.

Back at the house, Mary is napping on the new bed when Caroline comes in and announces that Mary has a visitor. Mary sits up as Seth enters and Ma excuses herself. They start with some small talk that usually follows a one-night stand, complete with half-truths of how fabulous life has been since they last encountered each other. Mary lies about how excited she is about going to school in Iowa and suspects that the whole town has blown the whole blindness thing out of proportion. Come to think of it, we haven't heard from Harriet in a long while. As Mary prattles on, Seth just looks at her with sadness and pity. He doesn't say anything, so Mary stands up and tries to offer him a polite exit. She tries to walk over to where Seth is standing, but a chair is in Mary's path and she stumbles. Seth catches her, but she starts to spazz out. She yells at him to leave her alone and Seth quickly makes his exit. Mary Ingalls sucks at gratitude. And flirting.

A few days later, a wagon has been set up in front of the homestead. Pa guides Mary outside and lifts her into the wagon. Caroline, Carrie and Laura are watching as the final arrangements are made. Caroline tries to reassure her daughter that it is a nice day for traveling, but Mary isn't all that interested. Caroline says they love her while Laura tells her sister to hurry back. Mary says bye as her sisters hug. Caroline and Charles hug and ask each other if they are doing the right thing. Charles hops onto the buckboard and they set off for the train station. None of the Ingalls appear to be waving as Mary drives away.

A post-production (as in after the series was off the air) graphic reads "To be continued".