Beware the Nice Ones: Anna Craig is a sweet old lady, but when Mrs. Oleson (who had previously convinced her to call off her relationship with Alden) tries to bar her from visiting a convalescing Reverend Alden in his bedroom with a tray of soup, Mrs. Craig threatens to hit her with her tray in the same tone she'd use to offer a cup of tea.
Foreshadowing: Along with the previous episode, Nellie shows seeds of her Heel–Face Turn, in that when Anna Craig arrives at the hotel and seeks to talk to Rev. Alden, Mrs. Oleson tries to stop her, but Nellie informs her the number of the room where Alden was staying, implying that she supported them.
Freudian Excuse: Harriet is so against the Reverend's romance because she once had a fiancee, Russell Harmon, who broke off their engagement to dedicate his time to God as a preacher. As it turns out, Harmon is now the person who oversees the reverends and validates them as men of the church in Minnesota, and when he's brought to handle a report against Alden and finds the person who charged him was his ex-fiancee, he tries to convince her to let Anna and Alden have a chance to be happy like they weren't.
Has a Type: Dean Russell Harmon, Harriet's ex-fiancee looks a fair bit like Nels, and is similarly mild-mannered and soft-spoken.
Lonely Funeral: Jeremy Tyler, an old man who lives alone in Walnut Grove and only has Alden's visits as company. His funeral consists of Charles, Dr. Baker and Reverend Alden. His situation, spending his final days alone, leads Alden to give himself and Anna a chance.
Took a Level in Cynic: The sermon the Reverend gives after Harriet tries to drive a wedge in between him and Anna is filled with subtext about how life doesn't go one's way and can be unfair... before he collapses from sitting out in the rain earlier the other night and has taken a bad fever.
What Happened to the Mouse?: One of the most famous in the series' history. Anna Craig is indeed an older woman and was suffering from some health issues, but except for a brief mention in an episode aired later in the fall of 1979, she is never seen nor referred to again.
