The Journey (First Aired: 13th September, 1973)
Maggie McKenzie knows that she has a bad heart which will soon take her life, but she wants to return, just once more, to the place where she and her husband began their life together in America, after arriving from Scotland. She is too ill to drive to the coast so she asks John Boy to take her there, knowing that he is the best hope she has of being able to go. He already has tentative plans with Marcia Woolery though and wishes to take her to a dance. He has even bought new trousers for the occasion. The Doctor has also told Maggie that she must not go and that she should rest, and John Boy feels that he should really abid by the Doctor's wishes. Maggie, however, seems so set on going that he thinks it would be bettter if he took her, rather than have her try to drive herself. He ends up taking her to the coast and both of them have a most memorable day there. She has a heart attack on the way home and dies very soon after, but is a very happy and grateful woman.
Written by Nigel Keand; directed by Harry Harris.
Guests: Linda Watkins (Maggie McKenzie), Victor Izay (Dr. Vance), Tammi Bula (Marcia Woolery), Chester Jones (Waiter).
NOTE: This episode was nominated for an Emmy for direction. The director was Harry Harris. Although he missed winning the Emmy, he was awarded the Directors Guild of America Awards for the Best Direction in a Dramatic Series.
LOOK FOR: Earl Hamner in his only appearance in the series. He plays the part of Maggie McKenzie's husband, Michael, in the flashback scenes at the restaurant.
LOOK FOR: the old photographs which Maggie shows John Boy. These photos are Earl's own family photos.
The Odyssey (First Aired: 20th September 1973)
John Boy becomes very frustrated with all the noise at home and his brothers and sisters all making different demands on him. He is not being able to find a quiet place to write so he heads up to the mountain to spend the night at an old, isolated cabin. On his way up the mountain, he stops to help an old woman, Granny Ketchum, whose mule is in her vegetable patch. She invites him in to chat for a little. When he finally gets to the cabin, he discovers his old school friend, Sarah Simmons, who wanted to marry John Boy in The Townie. Sarah tells John Boy that she has since married and become pregnant but is ill. As her fever develops and gets worse, John Boy goes to the old woman's home for help, hoping that she will be able to give him some herbal medecines to help bring Sarah's fever down. John Boy wants her to come back with him, but instead she just gives him a potion which helps to break Sarah's fever, and the mule, Blue, to ride back more quickly. John Boy promises to return Blue the next day. Although Sarah is improving by the next morning, she goes into labour and John Boy has no choice, other than to deliver her baby. The two of them head down the mountain again, to the Waltons home, stopping off to see Granny Ketchum on the way. They discover that she has died during the night and that Granny wishes John Boy to keep Blue. When they arrive home they find Sarah's mother there, wondering what she should do as she had been informed that Sarah had run away from the place that she was staying.
Written by Joanne Lee; directed by Jack Shea.
Guests: Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Sissy Spacek (Sarah Jane Simmons), Allyn Ann McLerie (Widow Simmons), Frances E. Williams (Granny Ketchum).
NOTE: This episode marked the second appearance of Sissy Spacek, who played the part of Sarah, as she did in The Townie.
The Separation (First Aired: 27th September 1973)
Everyone in the Walton family are very excited about the upcoming barn dance, but their excitement turns sour when they get a visit from a man from the electric company, who has turned up to either collect their overdue payment, or else turn off the electricity. Since they can't pay their debt, the power is turned off. Grandpa is sent off to the mercantile with their last 22 cents to buy some candles, while John goes out to try to collect some outstanding debts of his own to raise the money for the power bill.
Instead of going and getting the candles though, Grandpa goes to fix some pipes at the Baldwin's house, and they pay him enough to meet the Waltons electricity debt. He heads off to Charlottesville to pay the bill, and takes the sisters along for the ride. Whilst in town, Grandpa buys some perfume for Grandma with some of the extra money, but they are much longer than they expected to be. The Walton's left at home begin to worry when they notice that Grandpa has been gone for some time, and become even more worried when Ike says that Zeb hasn't been in at all. John and Grandma drive around looking for him, only to see him returning to the Baldwin home, and seeming very happy with himself. Grandma assumes the worst and Grandpa feels angry at her lack of trust in him, so he doesn't explain anything. She throws him out and he ends up sleeping on Ike Godsey's pool table.
The pair stubbornly refuse to talk to each other, even after John reveals the truth and Esther is given the perfume, something personal that she hasn't received in a very long time. Olivia decides that it would be a good idea to make Grandpa jealous, especially after she finds out that Grandma's old beau will be at the barn dance. Both Grandma and Grandpa are persuaded to go to the dance, but when Zeb sees Esther dancing with her old beau, he immediately asks Miss Emily to dance. Finally the band plays My Wild Irish Rose, their favourite dance tune, and Grandpa finally asks Grandma to dance.
Written by Richard Carr; story by Ellen Corby; directed by Philip Leacock.
Guests: Mary Jackson (Miss Emily), Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), John J. Fox (Mr Harper), William Paterson (Fred Hansen), Ed Call (Electric Company Man), Ancel Cook (Anker Barnes).
The Theft (First
aired 4th October 1973)
John Walton had been doing some odd jobs around the Claybourne home in order to earn
some extra money. Mrs Claybourne though, discovers that some of her valuable silver
goblets are missing, and since John has been the only visitor to the house in some weeks,
the Sherriff feels that he has a duty to go and question John about the situation,
especially since Mrs Claybourne is keen to point the finger squarely at John. However he
feels that he shouldn't have to explain anything further to the Sherriff other than to say
that he didn't do anything, but since he won't account for his actions, there is growing
suspicion and hostility from Mrs Claybourne. She is far from satisfied with the enquiries
the Sherriff has made and goes to the Walton home demanding that John return the silver
goblets. Stuart Lee Claybourne, her son, rushes in at the last moment though, just as
things are starting to get quite heated. He explains to his mother that when his father
died, there was very little money left, and given that he felt that his mother should
continue to live in the manner to which she was accustomed, he had gradually been selling
off pieces of the family's silver and other possessions. He had simply been trying
to protect his mother from the truth, but in doing so both of them had accused an innocent
man.
Written by Robert Malcolm Young; directed by Harry Harris.
Guests: John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Diana Webster (Mrs Claybourne), Dennis Dugan (Stuart Lee), Janit Baldwin (Amelia Claybourne), Davis Roberts (Dewey).
Written by Sheldon Stark; directed by Philip Leacock.
Guests: Lynn Hamilton (Verdie Grant), Erin Blunt (Jody Foster), Hal Williams (Harley Foster), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Noble Willingham (Mr Denton).
The Chicken Thief (First aired 18th October 1973)
While John Boy is out on an errand for his father, he sees Yancy Tucker stealing some chickens from a neighbour's house. He is then torn between keeping quiet for his friend's sake, and reporting what he witnessed to the Sheriff. Yancy explains that he was just taking the chickens, not for himself, but to give to others who were very poor. John Boy learns that his neighbour was shot though, and so he and his father go to speak to Yancy to try to persuade him to turn himself in. It is whilst John Boy is at his neighbour's place helping out, that he learns that he was shot with a different type of gun to the one Yancy has, and the neighbour admits to shooting himself accidentally.
It is during this episode that young Ben becomes the first Walton to have something published too. Ben has taken an old poem of John Boy's, but has rewritten it to make quite a different poem, and this won a poetry competition sponsored by the Liberty Magazine. Ben's poem is called "A Winter Mountain". Ben feels that he has been deceitful and has stolen John Boy's poem, but when he finally tells John Boy, John Boy comments that he has made it so much better than it was originally.
A WINTER MOUNTAIN
By Benjamin Walton
Our mountain in winter is something to see
At times it is just like a person to me.
A giant in white all covered with snow
It changes each day as the heavy winds blow.
And when I'm alone and I go for a walk
It's almost as if that old mountain can talk.
It seems to say Welcome my Winter Friend
I was here at the beginning, I'll be here at the end.
Written by Richard Carr; directed by Ralph Senensky.
Guests: Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker), Meg Wyllie (Mrs Potter), Richard O'Brien (Charlie Potter), Cissy Wellman (Jane Aspen), David Moody (Floyd Carter), Merie Earle (Maude), Charles Kuenstle (Mr Kilgore), Dorothy Meyer (Mrs Blankfort).
The Prize (First aired 25th October 1973)
Grandma's quilt, however, does not win and she complains bitterly, telling the judges that the first place quilt was an old one which had been entered before.
Written by Dale Eunson; directed by Philip Leacock.
Guests: John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Victor Izay (Dr Vance), Cindy Eilbacher (Martha Rose), David Doremus (G.W.), Peter Donat (Oscar Cockrell), Dana Elcar (George Porter), Louise Lorima (Grace Patterson), Kathleen O'Malley (Quilt Lady), Joella Deffenbaugh (Cake Lady), Patricia Wilson (Jelly Lady), Queenie Smith (1st woman judge), Angela Greene (2nd woman judge), Charles Kuenstle (1st man), Jay Ripley (2nd man), Bert Prelutsky (3rd man).
The Braggart (First aired 1st November 1973)
John-Boy takes a disliking to Hobie Shank, a teenaged orphan who once stayed with the Waltons. He returns to the Walton home while he waits for a tryout as a pitcher for a professional baseball team. With all of his big talking though, the Waltons don't know whether or not to believe what Hobie tells them. A talent scout does turn up to watch him and offers him a contract with his baseball team.
Whilst up in the tree house, however, Hobie shows off and falls, causing his arm to break. The contract is cancelled and a very depressed Hobie returns to recuperate, and lick his wounds, with the Waltons. In an effort to get him out of his depression, a baseball game is organised between the folk of Waltons Mountain and the Boy's Home where Hobie grew up. He is offered a job working full time with the home, which he accepts.
Written by Richard Fielder; directed by Jack Shea.
Guests: John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Michael McGreevey (Hobie), Tami Bula (Marcia Woolery), Cindy Eilbacher (Martha Rose), Richard X Slattery (Clyde Harroway), William Wintersole (Dr Wolfe), Doreen Lang (Mrs Baker), Brian Culhane (Calvin Trask), Christopher Gardner (Sam "Half Pint" Brady), Moosie Drier (Georgie), Michael Reilly (Iggy), Shawn Shae (Norma Lee).
LOOK FOR: Michael McGreevey who is the son of John McGreevey, writer of many of The Waltons episodes. Michael eventually went on to write an episode of his own, in Season 8.
Written by John McGreevey; directed by Ralph Waite.
Guests: Charles Tyner (Graham Foster), Matt Clark (Hennessy), Jimmy Davila (Harold Beasley), Marjorie Morley Eaton (Mrs Crofat), Todd Miller (Charlie), Mary Better (Mrs Littlefield), Donna Sanders (Beth Ann), James Jeter (Poacher 1), Sam Javis (Poacher 2).
The Thanksgiving Story (First aired 15th November 1973) (Two-hour episode)
Teleplay by Joanna Lee; story by Earl Hamner; directed by Philip Leacock.
Guests: Sian Barbara Allen (Jenny), Diane Shalet (Eula), John Ritter (Reverend Fordwick), Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie), Mary Jackson (Miss Emily), Mariclaire Costello (Miss Hunter), Nadine Turney (Miss Mansell), Victor Izay (Dr Vance), Rance Howard (Dr McIvor), David Doremus (G.W. Haines), Cindy Eilbachern (Martha Rose), Claudia Bryar (Nurse Stewart), Ivan Bonar (Dr Haley), David Henesy (Jerry), Paul Sorenson (Higgins), Monty Margetts (Teacher), Keith Atkinson (Proctor), Teresa Medaris (Fern), Kym Karath (Mabel), Bet Syfinely (Nurse).
NOTE: Philip Leacock was nominated for an Emmy for best direction.
NOTE: Joanna Lee, the writer, won an Emmy for the best script.
LOOK FOR: Sian Barbara Allen returnign to Waltons Mountain as Jenny Pendleton.
LOOK FOR: Kym Karath who played the tiny role of Mabel, one of the schoolgirls peeking in at the auditions. Kym is remembered for her role as Gretl in The Sound of Music and also she played Patty in the original movie based on Earl Hamner's family, Spencer's Mountain.
The Substitute (First aired 22nd November 1973)
Miss Hunter, the Waltons Mountain school teacher, needs to take leave from the Waltons Mountain School because of a family emergency. Miss Pollard, the relieving teacher, comes to them from New York, and stays at the Walton home. Although she is a brilliant woman, she is not sensitive to the children's needs, and she finds it very difficult to relate to the people of the mountain, even when they try to become friendly. She rarely associates with the Walton family, and causes heartache for John Boy when he asks her to read his stories and to comment on them. Her response is to give him a book of Emerson's essays which she believes he should model his writing on. Things come to a head and she resigns but after a chat with Olivia she asks for a fresh start.
Ben is also finding life difficult when he is trying to build a kite for a contest. Grandpa wants to help him, but wants it done his way, not Ben's, and this causes conflict between the two. John eventually tells Ben that he should use his own ideas for his kite if that's the way he thinks it should be done.
Written by John McGreevey; directed by Lee Philips.
Guests: Catherine Burns (Miss Megan Pollard), Mariclaire Costello (Miss Hunter), Kathleen O'Malley (Ethel Richardson), Melanie Freeman (Lucilla Younger).
The Bequest
(First aired 29th November 1973)
There is great excitement in the Walton household when Grandma receives the news that an old friend had died and left her an unexpected bequest of $250. Naturally everyone has ideas as to how she should spend it, but she eventually decides to share her new found wealth by spending some to fix the church roof, $3 to each of the children, and the rest would go towards John Boy's education. Having decided all of this, they decide to spend their savings on a new water heater and to get Grandpa's watch repaired. All the children are excited about the prospect of spending their $3 and John Boy decides that he would like to do something special for Grandma, and so takes her to visit the University where he hopes to eventually be able to attend. Whilst there Grandma sees what she considers to be an ideal course for John Boy...The Bible as Literature. What else would a young man in the 1930's need to know!
Finally though, the letter that they have all been waiting for, from the solicitors settling the estate, arrives. Grandma is shocked to read, however, that all of the, bequested money has gone paying her friend's debts. Grandma is terribly ashamed that she has to go back on her promises, and takes to her room. Her family and friends pull together though, to fix the church roof themselves and Grandpa sells his beloved watch to replace the savings they spent on the new water heater.
Meanwhile, Martha Rose arrives at Ike's store with newly dyed blonde hair, that she
has had professionally done, and Mary Ellen is most envious. Ike tells Mary Ellen that she
could do a home dying job with things she could buy from the store, but first she tries it
out on poor Jim Bob, with not so terrific results!
Written by Mort Thaw; directed by Alf Kjellin.
Guests: John Ritter (Reverend Fordwick), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Cindy Eilbacher (Martha Rose), Anne Carol Pearson (Receptionist), Eunice Christopher (Librarian).
The Air Mail Man (First aired 13th December 1973)
The Walton family befriends an air mail pilot who is forced to land because of engine trouble. He is invited to stay until he is able to fix his plane. Olivia becomes fascinated with the thought of flying. The young pilot tells the family that he is not married, but they find out otherwise when his wife rings the general store and eventually comes to Waltons Mountain. Apparently they are expecting a baby and Todd feels as though he will be tied down forever more. John helps him to see reason and the two are a couple once more.
As it is Olivia's birthday each of the family members gives her a present: John Boy gives his present to her by reading her a poem. The poem is about a bird flying high in the sky and feeling the wind in its wings. Todd, the air mail pilot then gives her a huge thrill by taking her for a ride in his plane, which the family have helped to get flying again.
Written by Peter L. Dixon & Sarah Dixon; directed by Robert Butler.
Guests: Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Michael Glaser (Todd Cooper) , Julie Cobb (Sue Cooper).
LOOK FOR: The presents given to Olivia by her family. Jon Walmsley as Jason, played and sang a song as his present to Olivia for her birthday. John gives her a mirror that he has made, the poem is from John Boy, the airplane ride is from Todd, the children make her a cake and Ike gives Olivia a comb.
LOOK FOR: The young air mail pilot, Michael Glaser, who would later be billed as Paul Michael Glasser in Starsky and Hutch, the popular cop show of the 1970's.
The Triangle (First aired 20th December 1973)
Miss Hunter is so taken by John Boy's essay about "Someone who is an inspiration to him" that she encourages him to perfect it and send it into a competition. With his constant redrafts and reworking to make it as good as he can, he is thrown together with the young Miss Hunter, so that she might help him as much as possible. She becomes very distracted though, when Reverend Fordwick requests her permission for him to court her, and she fails to realise that the person whom John Boy is writing about in the essay, is not the Aunt he claims, but is herself instead. John Boy becomes very jealous of the Reverend's attentions and gives up his essay altogether.
Meanwhile, Ben has been bullied by stronger boys, and one of them has even stolen his love interest, Naomi, away from him. He decides that it's time to take action, and so sends away for some body building scheme.
Written by Lionel E. Siegel; directed by Lee Philips.
Guests: Mariclare Costello (Rosemary Hunter), John Ritter (Matthew Fordwick), Nora Marlowe (Flossie Brimmer), Janet Johnson (Naomi Atkins), Brad Wilkin (Willie Dempster).
The Awakening (First aired 3rd January 1974)
Grandma is troubled by age and suffers from a hearing loss, as she nears her 68th birthday, but will not do anything about it, fearing that if she does she is admitting that she is getting old. Meanwhile Mary Ellen falls in love for the first time, when she falls for a college student whom she meets whilst he is fishing. He gives her her first kiss and she falls in love.
Now that Mary Ellen is growing up she decides that she needs a room of her own and asks to move into the shed. What she didn't know, however, that John Boy had asked his father for the shed as well. Needless to say, problems arise when they both find that the other is moving their things into the shed. John Boy naturally feels that he has the right to the room because he is older.
With Mary Ellen pretending to be older than she really is, she is heartbroken and embarrassed when Grandma has told her beau that she was not at home because she was at school with the other children and she flies out of the house in a rage. John Boy is just walking in though, with a big bunch of flowers that he has bought from Ike for Grandma's birthday. He thinks that Mary Ellen would be better off with them though, and so gives them to her.
Grandma does eventually go and see a doctor, and is happy to find that she has an ear infection which has been causing her problems.
Writer: Joanna Lee. Director: Lee Philips.
Guests: James Carroll Jordan (Kevin Sturgis), David Doremus (G.W. Haines), Victor Izay (Dr Vance), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey).
LOOK FOR: Zeb revealing that he used to call Esther "Sissy" and that she was 18 when she met Zeb. She had dreams of opening her own dress shop in Richmond.
LOOK FOR: Esther commenting that she has born 3 children. They would be John, his brother Ben killed in World War 1 and a daughter, who I think died of diphtheria.
The Honeymoon
(First aired 10th January 1974)
Olivia seems to be overworked and in need of a holiday, so, after 19 years of marriage, John schemes to take her on a belated honeymoon. Plans seem to be shortlived, however, when the mill engine requires repairing, and they spend their money on that. All of the children contribute to a "honeymoon fund" though and Grandpa sells a rare coin and this enables the honeymoon to be back on again. Once John and Olivia leave though, things again go wrong at the Walton house and instead of the romantic and comfortable hotel room John and Olivia were imagining, they find themselves sleeping in the truck after it breaks down.
Other things happen at home too. A skunk gets into the house and the family needs to spend the night in the barn, Esther is called away suddenly, Erin and Elizabeth get colds and John Boy falls down a cliff after an argument with Marcia and injures his shoulder. When John and Olivia ring Ike's store to find out how everything is going at home, Ike tells them truthfully all of the things which have happened since they had left. They decide to return home immediately instead of continuing on with their honeymoon plans.
Written by John McGreevey; directed by Jack Shea.
Guests: Tammi Bula (Marcia Woolery), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Greg Mabrey (Bellhop).
The Heritage (First aired 17th January 1974)
A land developer has the idea of turning Waltons Mountain into a tourist resort complete with hot mineral springs, and he offers John Walton a generous cash offer for his property. John needs to decide whether it is more beneficial for his whole family to accept this offer, and the financial stability it would mean for them all, or whether Waltons Mountain, and the land that has been part of their family for many years, would be better to remain in the family. It is during this episode too, that Zeb and Esther's 50th wedding anniversary approaches and they celebrate with their family and friends at the end of the episode.
Written by Dale Eunson; directed by Harry Harris.
Guests: Nora Marlowe (Mrs Brimmer), Noah Beery (Mr Harmon), Norman Andrews (Bill Dieter), Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker), John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Charles Kuenstle (Ken Lambert).
The Gift (First aired 24th January 1974)
Jason's best friend, Seth Turner, longs for nothing more than to be able to play in his father's band. To pass the time until his father returns, he suggests that Jason and he go and find some wood to make a recorder. Seth collapses up on the mountain though and he is diagnosed with leukemia, given only one year. Jason finds it hard to accept this and simply will not talk to his friend. Seth's mother wants to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect him as much as she can, so that she can keep him alive longer. When Seth comes home though, although shocked and distressed, he realises that Seth deserves to live the best life he can for as long as he can and arranges for Seth to accompany him on his next tour. Seth finishes making the recorder and asks John Boy to give it to Jason. It is Grandpa though, who goes to speak with Jason and helps him to accept his friends illness and coming death. Jason sees Seth and is able to learn to play the recorder before Seth leaves with his father.
Teleplay by Carol Eva McKeand; story by Ray Goldup and Jack Hanrahan; directed by Ralph Senesky.
Guests: Ron Howard (Seth), Pat Quinn (Wilma Turner), Ken Swofford (Red Turner), Rance Howard (Dr McIvors), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey).
NOTE: The Turner family return in an episode in season 5.
The Cradle (First aired 31st January 1974)
Olivia becomes very excited when she has the chance to be a door to door salesperson, selling bubbling skin beautifier. She is very successful and sells all of her kit to her neighbours. The Baldwin's bought several bottles because they need extra jars for the recipe and Mr Godsey is waiting on a shipment, Mrs Brimmer buys one for Miss Hunter's birthday and another for herself, and Maude Gormley watches a demonstration, wonders where the bubbles are, then promptly buys some as the tarnished bowl is no longer tarnished! All up Olivia sells the entire kit and returns home feeling successful, but tired and ill. She is pregnant again!
When she visits the doctor to confirm the pregnancy, she is quite insulted when he comments that she is no longer a "spring chicken". She is happy about the baby, but she is also depressed when she considers the cost of feeding another mouth and the time this baby will take to care for. Erin suggests that they have a baby shower for her to help cheer her up and they all begin preparing their gifts. Mary Ellen makes shirts, Erin makes a blanket, Elizabeth gives up her rag doll, Jason makes a rattle and John Boy makes a cradle. Ben and Jim Bob decide that they will sell the rest of Olivia's samples so that she can have some time to rest. They find this a bit hard though, especially after a demonstration at Mrs Breckenridge causes a white hanky to turn green!
Olivia learns to take it easy and begins to look forward to having a new baby around the house again, when she suddenly miscarries. She blames herself saying that she should have taken better care of herself. Grandpa makes her feel better though when he tells her that's taking the easy way out, and she really just needs to get up and go on and recover with time. He trots off to get her another cup of tea and says that if she weren't such a good Baptist he would consider putting a little drop of something in with it. Gradually she comes to terms with their loss and we are told that the Walton children provided their parents with many grandchildren over the years.
Written by Joanna Lee; directed by Ralph Senesky.
Guests: Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie), Mary Jackson (Miss Emily), Victor Izay (Dr Vance), Nora Marlowe (Mrs Brimmer), Merie Earle (Maude), Adrienne Marden (Mrs Breckenridge).
The Fulfillment (7th February 1974)
The Walton family take an eight year old orphan, Stevie, into their home for a taste of family life. Stevie turns out to be a very bitter and unhappy little boy though. Curtis and Ann Norris make a return appearance in this episode, and Ann tells Olivia that they cannot have children, a real blow to them because Curtis had always wanted a family. Young Stevie, however, becomes good friends with Curtis after they get to know each other when Stevie runs away from the Waltons. Ann, however, thinks that people are all pushing for her to adopt Stevie and she refuses to get to know him, but just as Stevie is leaving to return to the orphanage, she comes to her senses and realises just how much more fulfilling life has been for her and Curtis since Stevie has been around. They decide to adopt him.
Written by Michael Russnow and Tony Kayden; directed by Nick Webster.
Guests: Tiger Williams (Stevie), Victor French (Curtis), Ivy Jones (Ivy Jones).
NOTE: Ann and Curtis Norris appeared in the season 1 episode "The Bicycle", but in that episode Curtis was played by Ned Beatty.
LOOK FOR: Victor French, who went on to join Michael Landon in Little House on the Prairie, as Mr Edwards, then teamed up with Landon again in Highway to Heaven as Mark Gordon, Jonathon's earthling partner.
LOOK FOR: Joh Boy telling Ann:
"Love is not like money you keep in a bank. Take it out sometime later. You've got to give it when you can."
The Ghost Story (First aired 14th February 1974)
The children of the Walton family are excited about the possibility of speaking with spirits when they get a Ouija board, given to them by Ike. Neither Grandma nor Olivia are pleased at this prospect, as it goes against their religious beliefs. Things get a bit spooky though, when the Ouija board spells out the name of Luke, a visitor at the Walton home, then suggests that he should not board a specific train. Circumstances cause Luke to miss that train and they later discover that it was involved in a crash.
Written by Nigel McKeand; directed by Ralph Waite.
Guests: Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie), Mary Jackson (Miss Emily), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Kristopher Marquis (Luke), Jim Gammon (Roswell), Wilford Brimley (Horace).
NOTE: It seems that this episode did not often appear on the Family network in the USA, and after much discussion, the Waltons Mailing List members decided that perhaps it conflicted with their religious beliefs too. TNN, however, has been screening it, to the delight of Waltons fans, many of whom haven't seen the episode for many years.
The Graduation (First aired 21st February 1974)
The Waltons are getting ready for John-Boy's high-school graduation with a new suit being bought, as well as lots of new accessories bought for him by his family members. However Chance the cow dies and the family needs to buy another cow, but cannot afford to do so. Without telling them, John Boy returns his suit so that his money can be used for the cow. Grandpa's best suit is then seconded by the lady members of the household, the one that he was going to be buried in. However, Esther tells him that "It's not right to be wearin' tweed when you go to meet your maker!". Esther and Olivia hastily alter and restyle it for John Boy's graduation.
Written by Lionel E. Siegel; directed by Alf Kjellin.
Guests: Tammi Bula (Marcia Woollery), Mariclaire Costello (Miss Hunter), John Ritter (Reverend Fordwick), Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie), Mary Jackson (Miss Emily), Nora Marlowe (Mrs Brimmer), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), William Lanteau (Salesman), Janice Carroll (Saleslady), Ted Lehman (Tailor), Casey Morgan (Young man), Vicki McCarty (Young woman), Gil Rankin (Henry Cattle), Gaye Nelson (Girl Graduate), Peggy Drier (Girl Graduate), Geri Berger (Girl Graduate), Rob Clotworthy (Tyler Crofut), Jeff Cotler (Little Boy).
LOOK FOR: Jeff Cotler making his first appearance on The Waltons in this episode. He is Kami Cotler's brother.
LOOK FOR: John Boy being a part of the Class of 34 at the Waltons Mountain School. He has won the Dabney Scholarship to Boatwright College.
LOOK FOR: Some more information about the romance between Ashley Longworth and Miss Emily during this episode, when the Baldwin sisters give John Boy the tie pin that Miss Emily had bought for Ashley. He was a student at the University of Virginia and the young couple kissed under the maple tree as a swirl of autumn leaves tumbled down. Papa, however, sent hime away and he never came back!
The Five Foot Shelf (First aired 7th March 1997)
The five foot shelf is a collection of 50 Harvard classic books, and Olivia Walton takes pity on the book salesman who is trying to sell them, and puts a deposit on them. Instead of placing her order though, he uses the money to buy a doll for his daughter. After John finds out that their money has been used for this, he tells the salesman to keep the doll but to leave Waltons Mountain. The salesman realises the error of his way though and returns with both their money and an apology for the family. The Walton family decide to go ahead with their order though and all are very excited when the first package arrives.
Written by John Hawkins; directed by Ralph Waite.
Guests: Ben Piazza (George Reed), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Wilford Brimley (Horace), Ancel Cook (Elmer Bob), Anne Elizabeth Beesley (Little Girl).
The Car (First aired 14th March 1974)
John-Boy desperately needs to buy a car to enable him to get to and from college. Ike knows of a man, Hyder Rudge, who has a car that he never uses, but it doesn't seem as though he is interested in selling it. John Boy arranges to see the car, and then to do some work around the Rudge home in exchange for the car. When comes to take possession of the car though, Rudge has hidden it. The Rudge's once had a son who has since died and the car was his. Mr Rudge did not want to give the car to anyone else because he felt as though he was losing the last piece of his son. Eventually he comes to realise that if he holds onto the past he will lose his wife and future, and so the car is handed over to John Boy willingly and husband and wife work together to put their lives back together again.
Written by Chris Andrews; directed by Philip Leacock.
Guests: Ed Lauter (Hyder Rudge), Bonnie Bartlett (Martha), Joe Conley (Ike), Paul
Sorenson (Higgins).
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