Dirty Coward: Though hailed as a hero during the Battle of Shiloh, it was revealed via flashbacks that Granville actually fled during an enemy attack, leaving his friend and fellow Union soldier Roy Collins to be killed.
Downer Ending: One of the most unambiguously downbeat endings of a Little House episode. Granville dies of an overdosis, leaving poor Mrs Whipple with the pain of losing her only child, and having never overcome his own demons.
Functional Addict: Granville starts out clean, having reportedly not used morphine in months, but quickly becomes addicted again until it ultimately takes his life.
Nightmare Sequence: Granville has nightmares of his past in the war, including his biggest failure in battle, running away and leaving his comrade Ray Collins behind.
Outliving One's Offspring: Mrs. Whipple loses her son when he overdoses in the end. The final scene has her at his funeral.
Real Life Writes the Plot: At the time of this episode, many American soldiers were returning from Vietnam, a number of whom were suffering from what would later be diagnosed as PTSD, causing them to self-medicate with drugs and/or alcohol. This tragic phenomenon mirrored the episode's plot, where former Civil War soldier and professional musician Granville Whipple struggles with an addiction to morphine.
Tonight, Someone Dies: Titular character Granville Whipple, who succumbs to his morphine addiction after having to confront the reality of his actions during battle.
