List of The Waltons episodes

The following is a list of episodes and movies for the television show The Waltons.

Series overview

Season		Episodes		Originally aired
				First aired	Last aired
	Pilot			December 19, 1971
	1	25		September 14, 1972	April 19, 1973
	2	25		September 13, 1973	March 14, 1974
	3	25		September 12, 1974	March 6, 1975
	4	25		September 11, 1975	March 4, 1976
	5	25		September 23, 1976	March 17, 1977
	6	26		September 15, 1977	March 30, 1978
	7	24		September 21, 1978	March 22, 1979
	8	24		September 20, 1979	March 13, 1980
	9	22		November 27, 1980	June 4, 1981

Episodes

Pilot movie

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"The Homecoming: A Christmas Story"	Fielder Cook	Earl Hamner	December 19, 1971
On Christmas Eve 1933, the Waltons prepare for the holiday. However, John Walton (Andrew Duggan), who was forced to take work in another part of the state, has not returned home yet, and his family is becoming increasingly worried. Note: This pilot movie has different actors (except for the children and Grandma Walton) from the series. The cast includes: Patricia Neal as Olivia, Edgar Bergen as Grandpa, William Windom as Charlie Snead, Woodrow Parfrey as Ike Godsey, and Cleavon Little as Hawthorne Dooley.

Season 1 (1972–73)

The time is 1933–34, during the Great Depression in the United States.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Foundling"	Vincent Sherman	John McGreevey	September 14, 1972
The Waltons shelter a deaf girl (Erica Hunton) left on their back porch by her mother because her father insists on institutionalizing her. While they search for her family, they start teaching her sign language, which she uses to help Elizabeth when an emergency arises.
2	2	"The Carnival"	Alf Kjellin	Nigel McKeand	September 21, 1972
A traveling carnival comes to Walton's Mountain, but the children choose to sacrifice the money they had saved for it so that Grandma can replace her broken glasses. When the troupe becomes stranded by their dishonest ringmaster, John and Olivia allow them to stay temporarily in their barn, and the family is rewarded with a private show.
3	3	"The Calf"	Harry Harris	Jim Byrnes	September 28, 1972
The Waltons' cow gives birth to a bull calf, which John decides must be sold for truck repair money, much to his children's disappointment. He is able to buy it back after he learns the man he sold it to plans to butcher it.
4	4	"The Hunt"	Robert Butler	John McGreevey	October 5, 1972
John-Boy is anxious to prove himself on a turkey hunt with his father and two friends, but finds he can't shoot a turkey, which he equates with premeditated murder. He has no trouble killing a bear when it attacks his father.
5	5	"The Typewriter"	Philip Leacock	Theodore Apstein	October 12, 1972
John-Boy borrows an antique typewriter from the Baldwin sisters so he can submit a proper manuscript to a magazine. Mary Ellen inadvertently sells the typewriter to a traveling junk dealer. Fortunately, Sheriff Bridges is able to help her track it down.
6	6	"The Star"	Alf Kjellin	John McGreevey	October 19, 1972
A meteorite crashes through the roof of the Baldwin sisters' "Recipe" room, which they take as some kind of sign from their dead Papa. Grandpa Walton takes it as a sign of his own impending death; Ben takes it as a sign he will win the fourth-grade spelling bee; and an unscrupulous relative of the sisters first plans to exploit the meteorite for financial gain, then tries to steal their "Recipe machine".
7	7	"The Sinner"	Philip Leacock	John Furia, Jr.	October 26, 1972
A young preacher, Matthew Fordwick (John Ritter), comes to Walton's Mountain fresh from seminary, where he has learned the currently-popular fire and brimstone style of preaching. He happens to be a Baldwin relative, and after a visit succumbs to the effects of their "Recipe". His tee-totaler church superior fires him, but after he humbly apologizes to John-Boy for his hypocrisy, Grandpa and John convince the congregation to look at the forgiving side of the gospel and accept him.
8	8	"The Boy From the C.C.C."	Harry Harris	William Welch	November 2, 1972
A troubled teenager from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan whose father was murdered by a gangster runs away from the Civilian Conservation Corps to Walton's Mountain. The Waltons take him in and teach him that he can trust some people and he doesn't have to fight (literally) for everything he gets.
9	9	"The Ceremony"	Vincent Sherman	Nigel McKeand	November 9, 1972
A Jewish Nazi-refugee family moves to Walton's Mountain from Germany. Expecting to find similar antisemitism in America, the bitter, distrustful father, Professor Mann, chooses to protect his family by hiding their faith, and cancels plans for his son's impending bar mitzvah. The paranoid couple rebuff the Waltons' every attempt at visitation. John Boy discovers the family secret, and helps the boy find a rabbi, while the others open their home for the ceremony. Grandpa convinces the father not to deny his faith, and to honor his son by attending.
10	10	"The Legend"	Lee Philips	John McGreevey	November 16, 1972
John's World War I buddy visits, but after he accidentally sets a grass fire for which Jason is blamed, and wounds the family dog on a hunting trip, John discovers his friend has not put away the horrors of the war and gotten on with his life.
11	11	"The Literary Man"	Philip Leacock	Colley Cibber	November 30, 1972
A.J. Covington (David Huddleston), a wandering, well-read man claiming to be a writer, comes to Walton's Mountain, befriends John-Boy and helps him with his writing. But A.J. must come to terms with the fact that, after an initial success, he has spent most of his life in search of "the big story", but has avoided actual writing for fear of failure.
12	12	"The Dust Bowl Cousins"	Robert Butler	Paul Savage	December 7, 1972
John's cousin and her family seek refuge in Walton's Mountain after losing their Kansas farm to the Dust Bowl, but her husband has developed a bad attitude toward misfortune and taught their son that the world owes them something.
13	13	"The Reunion"	Jack Shea	Earl Hamner	December 14, 1972
The Baldwin sisters plan to hold a family reunion when their cousin Homer (Denver Pyle) visits, but Homer runs off with their batch of over 100 jars of the "Recipe" intended for the reunion, planning to sell it in Charlottesville; then all of the invitations return because the addressees are either dead or unlocatable. The Waltons make up for the failed reunion with a family visit to cheer the disappointed sisters.
14	14	"The Minstrel"	Philip Leacock	John Furia, Jr.	December 21, 1972
A young wandering musician visits the Mountain. Mary Ellen plans to run away with him, thinking that she is in love with him and that he will help her fulfill her dreams of travel and adventure. She learns a hard lesson when he tells her he won't be "tied down" by anybody and leaves without her.
15	15	"The Actress"	Vincent Sherman	William Bast	January 4, 1973
Alvira Drummond (Pippa Scott), a famous stage and screen actress, is relegated to staying at the Walton home after her car breaks down in Walton's Mountain. Contrary to the front she puts up, she is out of work and money after her agent tired of dealing with her prima donna attitude. After she learns a humbling lesson, the Waltons help her regain her confidence, then organize a town performance to help her raise money for a train ticket back to New York.
16	16	"The Fire"	Harry Harris	Earl Hamner	January 11, 1973
After learning that schoolteacher Miss Hunter is teaching evolution to his daughter, a religious fanatic breaks into the Baldwins' and steals some Recipe, then gets drunk and beats his daughter. He then uses the remaining Recipe to burn down the school, killing himself in the process. Ike Godsey lets Miss Hunter use some extra space in his store for temporary classrooms until the county can build a new school. Olivia contacts the girl's mother, who had earlier run away from her abusive husband, and the woman returns to look after her daughter.
17	17	"The Love Story"	Lee Philips	Earl Hamner	January 18, 1973
Jenny Pendleton (Sian Barbara Allen), whose mother died years ago, runs away from her father and new stepmother, back to her deserted house in Walton's Mountain. Jenny and John-Boy meet and fall deeply in love, but she is soon traumatized by her father's sudden accidental death, and ultimately moves away with the stepmother.
18	18	"The Courtship"	Harry Harris	Jeb Rosebrook	January 25, 1973
Olivia's uncle, Cody Nelson, visits. He is a bank accountant near retirement, but put out of work by the bank closings. They attempt to cheer him up by introducing him to a local widow, whom he courts. Afraid to commit to her upon learning of her four marriages (including a divorce), he finally resolves to ask her to marry him. The Reverend Fordwick performs the ceremony at the Waltons', and the couple remain happily married for life.
19	19	"The Gypsies"	Harry Harris	Paul Savage	February 1, 1973
A gypsy family stranded in Walton's Mountain during a thunderstorm with a broken wagon, break into the Baldwins' for shelter. The Waltons allow them to temporarily camp on their property so Grandma can tend--successfully--to their sick baby.
20	20	"The Deed"	Vincent Sherman	James Menzies	February 8, 1973
When a lumber company tries to claim the Mountain, the family discovers that their ancestors never filed for legal title to their land. They must raise $200 to obtain the deed, forcing the entire family to chip in. Against his father's wishes, John-Boy decides to take time off from school to work in the city of Wheeling. On payday, he is robbed of his week's pay by two men while leaving a tavern. He encounters the same pair a few days later and asks a nearby policeman to arrest them.
21	21	"The Scholar"	Lee Philips	John McGreevey	February 22, 1973
Verdie Grant asks John-Boy to teach her how to read and write, on the condition that he keep it a strict secret. She is motivated by the desire to travel to Richmond to see her youngest daughter Sarah graduate from college. A misunderstanding causes Verdie to assume John-Boy betrayed her confidence, and she angrily stops the lessons, despite his attempt to explain. She relents after she has to ask him to read Sarah's letter to her, which implores her to come to the graduation. She completes the lessons and makes the trip to Richmond, becoming a good Walton family friend.
22	22	"The Bicycle"	Alf Kjellin	Nigel McKeand	March 1, 1973
Frustrated with the burden of her domestic obligations, Olivia buys a used bicycle, which awakens some of her dormant dreams as she starts singing in the church choir again. Meanwhile, John-Boy helps blacksmith Curtis Norton (Ned Beatty) woo a "mail-order bride" by ghost-writing letters for him. When the city-raised girl arrives with big dreams, she becomes disillusioned with Curtis' bucolic ways, becomes angry when she discovers John-Boy wrote the letters, and cancels the engagement. Olivia's experience reminds her that dreams don't always work out, and don't replace the benefits of family. She convinces the girl to accept Curtis and loans her the bicycle to go after him.
23	23	"The Townie"	Jack Shea	Richard Fielder	March 8, 1973
John-Boy's friend Sarah Jane Simmonds (Sissy Spacek) wants to marry him to escape her strict, overprotective mother, but he rejects the idea. She then secretly dates a "townie", a spoiled rich boy named Theodore "Ted" Albert Claypool Jr. (Nicholas Hammond), who drives a LaSalle coupe, and exasperates John-Boy by expressing admiration for John Dillinger. He steals money and a gun from his father, and takes Sarah Jane off to Maryland to elope. John-Boy pursues them and finds them both injured outside the overturned LaSalle. Ted pulls the gun on John-Boy and tries to take the Walton truck, until John and Ted's father show up.
24 25	24 25	"An Easter Story"	Philip Leacock	Teleplay by: John McGreevey Story by: Earl Hamner	April 19, 1973
In a two-hour special, Olivia is stricken with polio after returning from church in February. When pain and fatigue turn into numbness and paralysis, she faces the prospect of permanent disability with courage, encouraging her children to fulfill their dreams. While John-Boy checks into applying to the University of Virginia, he takes the opportunity to seek out a doctor who specializes in the treatment of polio, having contracted it himself once. He tells John-Boy of an unorthodox, experimental treatment to fight the paralysis. Olivia tries the exercises, against the realistic/pessimistic advice of the local doctor. They at first give her hope of recovery by Easter, but then she becomes discouraged and resigns herself to life in a wheelchair when they ultimately don't work. But shortly before Easter, she dreams that Elizabeth calls out to her for help, and she gets up out of bed. She attends the Easter sunrise service with her family, celebrating the apparent miracle. In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode #77 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[2]

Season 2 (1973–74)

The year is 1934, during the Great Depression.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
26	1	"The Journey"	Harry Harris	Nigel McKeand	September 13, 1973
Maggie McKenzie (Linda Watkins), an elderly neighbor in failing health, asks John-Boy to take her to Virginia Beach but he has plans instead to take a girl to a dance. He finally breaks his date and takes Mrs. McKenzie to the shore, where she relives memories of her honeymoon.
27	2	"The Odyssey"	Jack Shea	Joanna Lee	September 20, 1973
Needing some alone time, John-Boy hikes up the mountain to a deserted cabin, and there finds his friend Sarah Jane Simmons (Sissy Spacek) hiding, nine months pregnant. She has run away from a well-to-do family in which her mother had placed her, on the promise that they would educate her. But they were only interested in using her as their servant, so she ran away and married a young man who has gone looking for work with the Works Progress Administration. John-Boy and Sarah are stranded by a rainstorm, and he must deliver the baby.
28	3	"The Separation"	Philip Leacock	Teleplay by: Richard Carr Story by: Ellen Corby	September 27, 1973
The Waltons' electric power is shut off when they are unable to pay the bill. Sent to buy candles, Grandpa Zeb comes up with a better solution: he offers to do a house repair job for the Baldwin sisters, for cash and the use of their car to pay the bill in Charlottesville. They accept, provided he takes them with him. Worried sick, jealous and angry when he is gone all day, Esther refuses to listen to his explanation. Zeb leaves the house, sleeping on the pool table in Ike Godsey's store. Zeb and Esther's pride escalates to the point that he talks of leaving her for good, until Olivia suggests Grandma attend the upcoming square dance, where the caller is Zeb's old rival for her affection.
29	4	"The Theft"	Harry Harris	Robert Malcolm Young	October 4, 1973
A wealthy widow accuses John Sr. of stealing some family silver after he has done a repair job for her. He suspiciously has come into some extra money, and refuses to say where he got it because he has sold his wedding ring to a pawn shop. It turns out the family's son has actually taken and sold the silver, hiding from his mother the fact that their wealth is gone.
30	5	"The Roots"	Philip Leacock	Sheldon Stark	October 11, 1973
Harley Foster, an unemployed auto mechanic turned migrant worker, comes to the mountain with his young son Jody with whom he has been traveling the country. They sleep in the Waltons' barn. Verdie Grant takes a great interest in him and the boy, and asks John-Boy to play matchmaker. After Harley repairs the Waltons' car, John-Boy gets Ike Godsey to hire Harley as a mechanic. Jody longs to settle down, and Verdie wants him to go to school. But Harley will have none of it, and angrily decides to leave immediately. In desperation, the boy steals some money from Ike's till so that Harley will be arrested and have to stay put. After Jody confesses, Harley changes his mind, apologizes to Verdie, and stays in Walton's Mountain.
31	6	"The Chicken Thief"	Ralph Senensky	Richard Carr	October 18, 1973
John-Boy faces a dilemma when he sees Yancy Tucker steal two chickens; if he remains silent, the law considers him complicit. Yancy has been playing Robin Hood, giving the chickens to people worse off. He promises to return the chickens so that John-Boy is off the hook, and as he does so, the chickens' owner is shot in the leg. Now Yancy is in jail, until John Sr. figures out that the chicken farmer accidentally shot himself.
32	7	"The Prize"	Philip Leacock	Dale Eunson	October 25, 1973
Olivia's childhood sweetheart Oscar Cockrell comes to visit. He is a politician running for the state legislature, and unhappily married. The Waltons go to the county fair, and Oscar is one of the judges. Olivia wins a five dollar first prize for her cake, and Ben loans his pig, given to him by Yancy Tucker, for the greased pig contest. The farmer who catches the pig (Dana Elcar) recognizes it as one of his own from its earmark, and demands either the pig back, or five dollars. Oscar wants to pay the money for Olivia, but she gives Ben her prize money.
33	8	"The Braggart"	Jack Shea	Richard Fielder	November 1, 1973
Hobbie Shank, a teenage orphan, stays with the Waltons for a while. John-Boy begins to dislike him, as his charming talkative banter keeps the Walton girls from their chores. Hobbie's skill at baseball attracts talent scouts and a chance at the big leagues, until an accidental fall threatens his future.
34	9	"The Fawn"	Ralph Waite	John McGreevey	November 8, 1973
In the first of several episodes directed by Ralph Waite, Erin finds an orphaned baby deer in the woods and intends to keep it as a pet, which the law doesn't permit. As soon as they return the fawn to the woods, a pair of poachers are caught shooting it, so Erin gets to keep it a bit longer while it recovers. The game warden offers Erin a compromise: instead of releasing it into the wild, he can put it in a wildlife preserve where she can visit it. She finally understands releasing it is best. In a parallel story, John-Boy gets a job as rent collector for a local landlord, and learns the man is dishonorable and miserly. His rents are higher than many tenants can pay in full, and he refuses to make needed repairs. He refuses to pay John-Boy's five percent commission since the shortfall in collections exceeds this, and fires him. John-Boy recovers his commission by making the repairs with Jason, and gives the man his change.
35 36	10 11	"The Thanksgiving Story"	Philip Leacock	Teleplay by: Joanna Lee Story by: Earl Hamner	November 15, 1973
In another two-hour special, Jenny Pendleton (Sian Barbara Allen) returns for a visit with her stepmother. John-Boy is hit on the head by a plank while working the saw mill. He conceals his dizziness and blurred vision because he wants to take an entrance exam for Boatwright University, but he cannot finish it. He has an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain. After the operation, Miss Hunter persuades the college to allow him to re-take the exam and he is accepted, winning a scholarship.
37	12	"The Substitute"	Lee Philips	John McGreevey	November 22, 1973
When Miss Hunter is called away by a family emergency, the school board (on which John sits) hires a substitute teacher, who travels from New York City to fill in. The Waltons house the young woman, who has excellent teaching credentials, but lacks interpersonal skills and eats her meals alone in her locked room. She counsels John-Boy not to write so emotionally. Her strict teaching style is so insensitive to individual children's needs, that half of them refuse to go to school. John is appointed to resolve the issue with her, but she resigns. Olivia convinces her not to distance herself from people, and she changes her methods. When she leaves, the children are sorry to see her go.
38	13	"The Bequest"	Alf Kjellin	Mort Thaw	November 29, 1973
Grandma receives a letter informing her that an old friend has died and bequeathed her $250, which she decides to share with the family and church. The family uses John-Boy's current college fund to replace the broken water heater, since Grandma has promised to replace the fund. But then another letter comes, with the news that the deceased woman's medical debts exceed her assets, so the bequest cannot be honored. Grandma is ashamed and afraid to face John-Boy, until he tells her that he loves her no matter what.
39	14	"The Air Mail Man"	Robert Butler	Peter L. Dixon & Sarah Dixon	December 13, 1973
The evening before Olivia's birthday, an air mail pilot (Michael Glaser) is forced to make an emergency landing in the Walton's pasture, and stays the night with them until he can fix his plane. He hides the fact that he has run away from his pregnant wife, until she comes looking for him. After discussing his fears of fatherhood with John, he decides not to leave her, and gives Olivia a short ride in his plane before returning to his wife.
40	15	"The Triangle"	Lee Philips	Lionel E. Siegel	December 20, 1973
John-Boy's teacher, Miss Hunter, meets with him to critique an essay he is writing about a special person in his life, but does not realize he is actually writing about her. Meanwhile, Rev. Fordwick starts regularly dating Miss Hunter and takes her to the community picnic, making John-Boy hurt and jealous.
41	16	"The Awakening"	Lee Philips	Joanna Lee	January 3, 1974
Growing pains cause havoc on Walton's Mountain. Grandma's upset as her 68th birthday approaches, qualifying her for an "Old Age" pension, and she frustrates everyone by refusing to get help for dizziness and a hearing problem. John Boy craves private, quiet space for an office in an attached cabin, but Mary Ellen is told she can use the same space as her bedroom. A visiting college boy Mary Ellen encounters at the lake, plunges her into confusion when he kisses her, despite being several years older.
42	17	"The Honeymoon"	Jack Shea	John McGreevey	January 10, 1974
John takes Olivia on a belated honeymoon.
43	18	"The Heritage"	Harry Harris	Dale Eunson	January 17, 1974
A mysterious stranger (Noah Beery) comes and samples the Waltons' hot spring water, then returns to offer John $5,000 to sell the mountain, claiming he wants to retire on it, but John is unwilling. Later, the man admits he represents developers who want to build a tourist resort on the mountain, and increases the offer to $25,000. Now John leans toward accepting it, thinking they can keep the house. Even though his ancestors are buried on the mountain, John knows the money will greatly benefit his family, especially for John-Boy's education. When the man returns to close the deal, he raises the offer to $30,000, informing them the developers want to remove the house, and offer John a job as a hunting/fishing guide. After much anguish, he finally decides his family's heritage mustn't be sold.
44	19	"The Gift"	Ralph Senensky	Teleplay by: Carol Evan McKeand Story by: Ray Goldrup & Jack Hanrahan	January 24, 1974
Jason's close friend Seth Turner (Ron Howard), who shares his love for music, carves a recorder from an apple tree branch Jason gives him, and offers to teach Jason how to play it. He learns that he has been stricken with leukemia and has only a year to live. Jason, and Seth's mother, take it extremely hard, but after the initial shock, Seth and his father resolve to make the most of the time he has remaining. Seth carves Jason's name in the recorder and gives it to him to remember him by.
45	20	"The Cradle"	Ralph Senensky	Joanna Lee	January 31, 1974
Olivia is pregnant for the eighth time, and fears bringing another child into the world during the Depression. Elizabeth at first is unhappy to learn she won't be the baby anymore, especially after being taunted about it by Jim-Bob; but then looks forward to a baby sister. But it is not to be when Olivia miscarries.
46	21	"The Fulfillment"	Nick Webster	Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden	February 7, 1974
The Waltons bring home Stevie, a troubled young orphan, to stay with them temporarily. Meanwhile, Ann, the wife of town blacksmith Curtis Norton (Victor French),[3] is told she will not be able to bear children. She stays in denial of this, as Curtis and Stevie take a liking to each other. Olivia doesn't want to force the idea of adoption on Ann, but John-Boy tells Ann that love isn't like money, in that one can't save it up for the future. She changes her mind, and the Nortons adopt Stevie.
47	22	"The Ghost Story"	Ralph Waite	Nigel McKeand	February 14, 1974
The Waltons bring Luke, a boy whose mother he loved very much has died, into their home while Ike gives John-Boy a "spirit board", which his writer's curiosity leads him to investigate. As he and the children play with it in several sessions, the "spirit" apparently delivers the fragmentary message "Luke .. must not ..." A series of circumstances then seem to conspire to prevent the family from getting Luke on a train to go to his father. Then they hear on the radio that a serious accident has derailed the train.
48	23	"The Graduation"	Alf Kjellin	Lionel E. Siegel	February 21, 1974
John-Boy's high school graduation finally approaches and the family buys him a new suit for the occasion. After the family's beloved cow Chance dies, John-Boy sells the suit back, despite his father's strenuous objection, to give him the cash to replace the cow. Grandma and Olivia replace the suit by altering the tweed suit Grandpa was saving for his burial.
49	24	"The Five Foot Shelf"	Ralph Waite	John Hawkins	March 7, 1974
When a traveling salesman comes selling the 50-volume set of Harvard Classics, Olivia makes a $3.00 down payment, since they will replace some of John-Boy's required college books, and help satisfy her occasional desire for adventure. She also allows the salesman to stay in the barn. But instead of ordering the books, he uses the money to buy his daughter a doll from Ike's store. When John and John-Boy figure out his deception, John demands the money back, but decides to just banish him and write it off as a lesson learned when he sees how desperation has overridden the man's ethics and sense of pride. The man's conscience finally wins out: he persuades Ike to buy the doll back and returns the money to the Waltons. After this, Olivia decides to still buy the books.
50	25	"The Car"	Philip Leacock	Chris Andrews	March 14, 1974
John-Boy looks to buy a car which he will need to get to college. On a tip, he offers to repair the storm damage to the home of a reclusive couple in exchange for the beautiful car they keep in their garage. The man grudgingly accepts, but proves unwilling to part with the car because it belonged to his son, who is dead. After his wife threatens to leave him, and John-Boy gets him to talk about his son, he relents.

Season 3 (1974–75)

The time is 1934–35, during the Great Depression.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
51 52	1 2	"The Conflict"	Ralph Senensky	Jeb Rosebrook	September 12, 1974
In a two-hour episode, the family visits some of their hill-folk kin, the family of Grandpa's sister-in-law: Martha Corinne (Beulah Bondi), her son Boone (Morgan Woodward), and married grandson Wade (Richard Hatch). They are being forced off of their property by a Civilian Conservation Corps project to build a national park and federal highway. Grandpa supports them in their determination to take up arms against the government if necessary to defend Walton land, which puts him at odds with John-Boy. John tries with the help of Virginia senator Lucas Avery (Paul Fix) to appeal the state's decision to displace the family, but is unsuccessful. Martha Corinne finally relents when a marshal shoots John-Boy in the side.
53	3	"The First Day"	Philip Leacock	John McGreevey	September 19, 1974
The whole family is excited about John-Boy's first day at Boatwright College, but hazing from older boys and bureaucratic red tape make it less than idyllic. Back on the mountain, Jason is finding it hard to step into John Boy's shoes at school and at home.
54	4	"The Thoroughbred"	Harry Harris	Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden	September 26, 1974
John-Boy enters his mule, Blue, in a local race which Grandpa was the last Walton to win, and finds himself in competition with one of his wealthy classmates, who not only enters a thoroughbred horse in the race, but competes with him for the attentions of a female student, Selina, (Kathleen Quinlan), the granddaughter of the race's sponsor. John-Boy narrowly wins the race, and learns a lesson in good sportsmanship.
55	5	"The Runaway"	Harry Harris	Teleplay by: Larry Bischof Story by: Carol Evan McKeand and Larry Bischof	October 3, 1974
When the class guinea pig dies in his care, Jim-Bob can't get anyone to listen to his distress, so he runs away from home. John Boy misses a lecture by a famous travel writer to help look for him, but a chance encounter puts a positive spin on the day for the brothers.
56	6	"The Romance"	Ivan Dixon	Hindi Brooks	October 10, 1974
John Boy teaches Olivia to drive so she can fulfill a dream by taking an evening art class at college. She finds herself in a dilemma when the young male teacher becomes romantically attracted to her and makes advances during the class's field trip to a museum. He later comes to their home to apologize to her and John Sr.
57	7	"The Ring"	Philip Leacock	Nigel McKeand	October 17, 1974
Mary Ellen is invited to a Boatwright dance by one of John-Boy's classmates. She buys a handbag from the local junk dealer, and finds an amethyst ring concealed inside it. Even though she knows who the handbag's owner is, she rationalizes that she can borrow the ring for the dance and return it later. She loses the ring in the ladies' room at the dance. John-Boy's girlfriend helps her retrieve it, at the cost of breaking university rules, which denies her eligibility in a prestigious sorority. Mary Ellen clears her conscience by returning the ring to its owner.
58	8	"The System"	Harry Harris	Jeb Rosebrook	October 24, 1974
John-Boy tutors Tom Povich (Richard Masur), a football player who wants to become a lawyer, for an important exam as he is at risk of failing history and losing his athletic scholarship. During the exam, John-Boy finds Tom in a moment of insecurity glancing at his neighbor's test paper. The school's honor code and his good conscience demand that John-Boy, reluctantly, turn him in, but he successfully defends his friend against expulsion. In the subplot, Jason catches Ben smoking cigarettes and tells Grandpa, who sets out to tactfully teach Ben a lesson about the bad habit.
59	9	"The Spoilers"	Jack Shea	Caryl Ledner	October 31, 1974
After losing money in the financial crash, the well-to-do and snobby Hanover family from New York City move onto Walton's Mountain to take over their abandoned ancestral home. John and Olivia try to teach the idealistic Mr. Hanover and his wife farm living skills, but the spoiled and fresh children quickly make enemies within the Waltons and their school friends. Before the family finally leaves, the Hanover daughter gives Mary Ellen a stylish, turbaned dress from Paris.
60	10	"The Marathon"	Ralph Senensky	Nigel McKeand	November 7, 1974
On a whim, John-Boy decides to enter a seven-day dance marathon after meeting Daisy, a young woman who also enters. Olivia is angry about him entering such a grueling event, but eventually comes to terms with the fact that he is becoming an adult, responsible for taking care of himself. John-Boy discovers how brutally the marathon organizers treat the dancers, and how desperate Daisy is to win the prize money so she can leave Virginia for big-city life. Halfway through, he finally decides to quit.
61	11	"The Book"	Harry Harris	Joseph Bonaduce	November 14, 1974
John-Boy stretches himself academically by taking an advanced writing class, but soon gets the feeling he's gotten himself in too deep. Meanwhile, his mother sees an advertisement for a publishing company looking for new authors, and gives them a sample of his work. They send a letter offering to publish him, with a contract which he signs over his father's warning. Since he is now a "published author", he gets a slightly swelled head in his writing class, and his professor sets up a radio interview in his class. John-Boy learns a hard lesson when he receives a bill with his delivered books; the company is a vanity press. He is ashamed, but decides to share the lesson he's learned with the interviewer (Gerald McRaney). In a subplot, Jason's musical talents are discovered by the agent of Bobby Bigelow, a modestly famous Virginia native country singer, who hires him to play in his band.
62	12	"The Job"	Ivan Dixon	Nigel McKeand	November 21, 1974
John-Boy takes a part-time job reading to a young blind woman named Ruth, a former Boatwright student. He has reservations about keeping it when he learns how bitter, closed and afraid of the world Ruth has become from her disability and the recent death of her father. When he can't take it anymore, he leaves in anger, causing Ruth to reconsider her attitude. She decides to accept his invitation to come to Walton's Mountain, and Olivia prepares a family picnic at Drucilla's Pond. On the way home, Elizabeth foolishly walks on the bridge rail and falls onto the riverbank, knocking herself unconscious, and Ruth, all by herself, tries to rescue her. Ruth takes some training at an institute for the blind, returns to Boatwright and becomes a state social worker.
63	13	"The Departure"	Ivan Dixon	Joanna Lee	December 5, 1974
It's John Sr's turn to become restless, deciding to take a job in a machine shop in Norfolk, 90 miles from Walton's Mountain (in reality it's twice that distance), planning to return on weekends. This frustrates Olivia to the point of anger, and his absence is felt by the entire family, including John-Boy, who is encountering some academic problems at Boatwright. John finds he has to work overtime the first weekend, and has to contend with a jealous, bitter fellow worker and boarder named Stavros. When John-Boy drives to visit his father, John takes him to the local bar, where they end up in a fight with a stranger. John finally comes to his senses, and returns home with his son.
64	14	"The Visitor"	Ralph Waite	Kathleen Hite	December 12, 1974
An old neighbor who moved away five years earlier returns to his abandoned house, saying his wife will be coming soon. The Walton women and a friend clean up the house in anticipation of her return. But then the man's son arrives with the news that his mother died two years ago and his father has not accepted this. Also, Elizabeth has an imaginary friend.
65	15	"The Birthday"	Ivan Dixon	Nancy Greenwald	December 19, 1974
As his 73rd birthday nears, Grandpa has a heart attack. The family struggles to keep up his spirits, finally calling on his love for the mountain to help him recover. Against the hospital staff's advice, they insist on taking Grandpa home to recuperate in a private cabin in the backyard, which proves therapeutic.
66	16	"The Lie"	Jack Shea	Hindi Brooks	January 2, 1975
Ben borrows John-Boy's car to take his girlfriend Nancy to a secret meeting with her mother who left home several years ago. Nancy swears Ben to secrecy because she is afraid of her embittered father finding out. The good deed gets Ben into serious trouble when a joyrider temporarily steals the car and has a hit-and-run accident, and the victim records the license number. John-Boy pieces together what happened, and convinces Ben to come clean. The girl tells her father about the meeting, and John Sr. makes him realize he was afraid of losing his daughter, but that he has no need to fear of her contacts with her mother.
67	17	"The Matchmakers"	Jack Shea	John McGreevey	January 9, 1975
John's unmarried cousin Corabeth Walton comes for an extended visit after the death of her mother. The family introduces her to Ike Godsey, who takes a liking to her and decides he is tired of the bachelor life. He takes her, John and Olivia to a first-class restaurant, and surprises John by proposing to Corabeth, and she accepts, despite her own reservations. Ike is enthusiastic about their future together, but Corabeth is prim and reserved. When they both get "cold feet", John and Olivia must separately counsel and encourage them to proceed with the wedding. Reverend Fordwick marries them. Meanwhile Erin, as the family's "middle girl", feels neglected and unnoticed, so John-Boy treats her to a photographic portrait session.
68	18	"The Beguiled"	Ralph Senensky	Kathleen Hite	January 16, 1975
John-Boy is "beguiled" by Sis Branford (Darleen Carr), a rich, spoiled Boatwright student who almost has a traffic accident with him, ruining one of his tires. She also steals his chemistry notebook, which he desperately needs to pass an exam. She flirts and makes up with him, and he invites her home. She brings him a new tire but frames Jim-Bob's friend Danny Comley (Willie Aames) for the notebook theft. John-Boy realizes she's only been using him as a plaything and he tells her off.
69	19	"The Caretakers"	Ivan Dixon	Richard Carr	January 23, 1975
Grandpa and Grandma feel cut off and disrespected by the family, and decide to move away to be temporary caretakers of another farmhouse. Without Grandpa's labor, John is forced to hire a mill hand, who proves clumsy and incompetent. After the grandparents encounter problems with the malfunctioning cookstove, radio, clock, and sink (not to mention lacking transportation), Grandpa finally swallows his pride and agrees that they can move back, to the relief of all the Waltons.
70	20	"The Shivaree"	Lee Philips	Max Hodge	January 30, 1975
The family hosts the wedding of Olivia's namesake, the orphaned daughter of a friend, to Bob Hill (Bruce Davison), a city boy from Richmond. Ike and Yancy plan a shivaree, a Blue Ridge tradition based on an old French-Canadian hazing ritual where the groom is kidnapped and left in the woods on the wedding night. After John-Boy explains this to Bob, who has little sense of humor and wants nothing to do with it, he and his father leave a message for Ike and Yancy, who are off on a hunting trim, warning them to cancel the hazing, but they don't get it in time and carry it out. Bob is so upset he tells his bride he thinks the wedding was a mistake, but the family fixes up the old cabin on top of the mountain as a honeymoon cottage and he relents. Ike and Yancy cause some tension by showing up again, but their intent now is only to serenade the young couple.
71	21	"The Choice"	Alf Kjellin	Nancy Greenwald	February 6, 1975
Believing the Depression will soon end, John and Zebulon have plans to expand the lumber business into "Walton and Sons", depending on Jason to be a major partner. But Miss Hunter has been encouraging Jason to develop his musical talents with professional lessons, and John-Boy to expand his writing skills by writing a novel. John-Boy is not so sure he is ready to write a novel, but Jason gets a piano teacher, who advises him to apply for a scholarship at a music conservatory. Jason wants to be a composer like George Gershwin. John is firmly opposed, believing Jason won't be able to earn a living with music. When he finally changes his mind and decides he wants his children to achieve their own life goals, John-Boy gets the inspiration to write the novel about his family.
72	22	"The Statue"	Ralph Waite	Teleplay by: Earl Hamner Story by: Sumner Long	February 13, 1975
Grandpa wins first prize in the church raffle: a statue of a young woman, donated by the Baldwin sisters. The statue is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's poem Annabel Lee, but bears an uncanny resemblance to Grandpa's old girlfriend. Grandma recognizes it too, which causes a bit of strife. Grandpa decides to use it to decorate his and Grandma's grave, but she says she'd rather be buried in the cow pasture, so Grandpa relents and has the children dump it in Drucilla's Pond. One of John-Boy's stories, a thinly veiled and somewhat unflattering portrayal of the Baldwin sisters, has been accepted for publication, but he must decide if publishing it would be worth the hurt it would cause to Miss Mamie and Miss Emily.
73	23	"The Song"	Richard Thomas	Teleplay by: Richard Carr and Armand Lanzano Story by: Richard Carr	February 20, 1975
Ben and Jason's relationship is strained when Ben suggests Jason hire a girl who Ben likes, Sally Ann (Erin Moran), to sing his new song with him in Bobby Bigelow's band. The plan backfires on Ben when Sally falls for Jason instead. Ben sulks and refuses to join the family at the performance, but listens to it on the radio. But Sally dedicates the song to Ben, which causes him to hurriedly come to the performance and make up with her. The song, Will You Be Mine?, was actually written by Jon Walmsley (Jason). Meanwhile, John and Zeb join other local men for a wagered tournament of pool at Ike's store, to the disapproval of their wives.
74	24	"The Woman"	Harvey S. Laidman	Hindi Brooks	February 27, 1975
John and Olivia plan a repeat ceremony for their 20th wedding anniversary, and John buys Olivia a dress for the occasion. The children together paint a large picture of their house and family, as a surprise gift to their parents. Meanwhile John-Boy is assigned to welcome and escort around a comely visiting poet he had admired, during her several days at Boatright University. He becomes giddy and infatuated, impulsively packs his bags, and almost accompanies her back on the train to New York, finally coming to his senses only as she boards the train.
75	25	"The Venture"	Ralph Waite	Joseph Bonaduce	March 6, 1975
Things are looking up on the mountain, and the Waltons take a $500 loan from the bank to buy some faster equipment for the mill. When Grandpa and then John Sr. fall ill, the family faces missed deadlines and may lose their home. John Boy pushes himself and everyone else too hard trying to keep up. Eventually he and Jason decide they must give up their dreams of college, to instead work and help the family, until the community comes to their aid.

Season 4 (1975–76)

The time is 1935–36, during the Great Depression.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
76	1	"The Sermon"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	September 11, 1975
John Boy is coaxed into preaching a sermon while Reverend Fordwick is away on his honeymoon. Meanwhile, Olivia teaches school for Mrs. Fordwick.
77	2	"The Genius"	Harry Harris	Robert Weverka	September 18, 1975
John-Boy brings from college, a nerdy 16-year-old genius to visit the farm. He has no social skills, does not like to play, talks only in facts and figures, is an agnostic, and everyone dislikes him. They finally accept the boy after he reluctantly fills in for an absent actor at the local talent show.
78	3	"The Fighter"	Ivan Dixon	Andy White	September 25, 1975
A black prize fighter from Richmond starts work at the Walton farm, hoping to get physical exercise. Olivia and Grandma strongly disapprove of his profession, until learning that he wants to earn money to start a church.
79	4	"The Prophecy"	Harry Harris	Marion Hargrove	October 2, 1975
John wrestles with feelings of failure as his high school reunion nears. At the reunion dinner held at their farmyard, he finally realizes, however, that his other classmates envy him for his loving wife and family.
80	5	"The Boondoggle"	Ralph Waite	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	October 9, 1975
A government writer comes to Walton's Mountain to write a Guide to Virginia. His meddling research uncovers dark secrets about Judge Baldwin's actions during the Civil War, which greatly upsets the sisters until they realize their father had acted out of humanitarian motives.
81	6	"The Breakdown"	Ivan Dixon	John McGreevey	October 16, 1975
Exhausted after trying to multi-task, Jason learns the hard way that you can't do everything you want to do at once. Meanwhile, John Boy gets a job in the basement library at the college.
82	7	"The Wing-Walker"	Harvey S. Laidman	Andy White	October 23, 1975
John Boy and Jim Bob vie for the attention of a daring lady wing walker.
83	8	"The Competition"	Alf Kjellin	Teleplay by: Nancy Greenwald and Paul West Story by: Nancy Greenwald	October 30, 1975
Mary Ellen and Erin both fall in love with a forestry student staying and working at their house, who finally kisses Erin before deciding she is too young and he had better move on, breaking her heart. Olivia decides that she wants another child, but the doctor advises against another pregnancy. He arranges, however, for the family to care for an orphaned baby girl temporarily until the would-be adoptive parents are fully ready. Although Grandpa pretends to complain, the whole family enjoy the baby and regret having to finally release her.
84	9	"The Emergence"	Alf Kjellin	Hindi Brooks	November 6, 1975
Marsha Wollery, one of John Boy's high school flames, returns to the mountain. She plans on selling the family farm and giving the money to her arrogant and greedy big-city fiance. Meanwhile, Olivia fills in as a substitute teacher at the school, and buys inexpensive eyeglasses for a boy who badly needed them.
85	10	"The Loss"	Alf Kjellin	Joan Scott	November 13, 1975
Olivia's niece returns to Walton's Mountain after the recent death of her husband. She grieves continually until finding some relief helping with a litter of kittens.
86	11	"The Abdication"	Harvey S. Laidman	Teleplay by: Matt Robinson Story by: Paul West and Matt Robinson	November 20, 1975
As the United Kingdom's King Edward VIII abdicates his throne, John-Boy's friend A.J. Covington (George Dzundza) returns[4] to Walton's Mountain with a movie company, filming a movie he has written. A.J. has written a good story based on his prior experience on the Mountain, but has a poor ear for dialects and has his characters speaking stereotypical, "hillbilly" dialog which sets the onlookers laughing. John-Boy offers the director (James Karen) some suggestions on how to fix this, so the man asks him to rewrite the problem dialogue. The director (and the film's stars) are so impressed with the result that he fires Covington and offers John-Boy a screenwriting job. John-Boy is upset that his friend was fired, so he "abdicates" the offer. In a subplot, Mary Ellen is romantically attracted to A.J.'s English assistant (Stephen Collins).
87	12	"The Estrangement"	Harry Harris	Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden	December 4, 1975
Young Wade (Richard Hatch) Walton's wife Vera and her baby return to Walton's Mountain, having run away from her unhappy marriage. She cites a drastic change in Wade's behavior since the government forced them off their property,[5] which causes her to suspect Wade is cheating on her. In fact, he is transporting moonshine for his grandfather Boone, and quits his other job in anger when his boss speaks to him about his declining performance. After the sheriff arrests Wade, John-Boy persuades Boone to bail him out, and John offers him a new job making use of his woodworking skills, he comes to his senses and patches things up with his wife. Meanwhile, Ben starts a home business shipping individual pine seedlings, but has to stop after the sheriff tells him the seedlings were all too immature to thrive, and furthermore he has no sales license.
88	13	"The Nurse"	Alf Kjellin	Kathleen Hite	December 11, 1975
Mary Ellen leaves home for the weekend to take her entrance exam for medical school. Unfortunately she finds she's not properly prepared. The county nurse offers to tutor her in the algebra and chemistry she needs to pass the test, in exchange for her help caring for a sick mother and her children. In the process, Mary Ellen tenderly breaks the news of her mother's death to her little daughter.
89	14	"The Intruders"	Richard C. Bennett	Seth Freeman	December 18, 1975
Walton's Mountain ain't big enough for two sawmills! A rival sawmill comes to town and Ben begins working for them, not realizing he is undermining his father's business. Grandpa makes up for this by cleverly devising a sneaky plan to deliver Walton lumber faster than their competitor can.
90	15	"The Search"	Harry Harris	Teleplay by: Paul West Story by: Ellen Corby	January 1, 1976
Olivia, Jim Bob and Elizabeth find themselves stranded in the middle of the woods, with a storm brewing, after having a flat tire, and chasing after a hen. Searching for help, they encounter a cabin of hostile bootleggers.
91	16	"The Secret"	Harvey S. Laidman	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	January 8, 1976
Jim Bob cannot find his birth record on file, and suspects he may have been adopted. On further investigation, he learns a secret: that he had a twin who had died at birth.
92	17	"The Fox"	Richard Thomas	Max Hodge	January 15, 1976
Ben plans on going into the fur business when a fox starts nosing around the farm. Meanwhile, Grandpa doesn't seem to want to go to the Spanish-American War veterans' reunion, even though he talks so much about his charge up San Juan Hill.
93 94	18 19	"The Burn Out"	Harry Harris	John McGreevey	January 22, 1976
In a two-hour episode, a fire severely damages the second floor and kitchen of the Walton house. Having taken up the habit of smoking, John-Boy fears he may have started it by leaving a lit pipe, but the more likely cause is a space heater that Grandpa forgot to turn off. As John, Grandpa and John-Boy make repairs, the family must parcel out the younger children to friends and neighbors. John-Boy finally is able to restart the manuscript of his novel, which was destroyed in the fire. Ben moves into Yancy Tucker's cabin, oversleeps, and goes fishing with Yancy rather than to school. Grandpa stays at a boarding house whose women enjoy his storytelling. A traumatized Elizabeth doesn't want to return home from the Godseys.
95	20	"The Big Brother"	Ralph Waite	John McGreevey	January 29, 1976
A runaway girl gets the attention of most of the Walton family who collects money for her bus travel home, the exception being Grandpa, who knows a con artist when he sees one.
96	21	"The Test"	Harvey S. Laidman	Kathleen Hite	February 5, 1976
Maude, who gave her goat to the Waltons earlier in the series, doesn't adapt well to her strict confinement in the retirement home, while Olivia gets a job as a seamstress in a high-end fashion store. Olivia resigns after the store owner (Abby Dalton) wants her to take on management responsibility and travel extensively.
97	22	"The Quilting"	Lawrence Dobkin	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	February 12, 1976
Mary Ellen refuses to follow the country tradition of making a quilt to announce her eligibility to date boys, and Grandma doesn't like her attitude. John Boy finally persuades Mary Ellen to go along.
98	23	"The House"	Harvey S. Laidman	Kirby Timmons	February 19, 1976
Grandma begins a petition to save the old Whitley house, while Grandpa has been contracted by the county to tear the house down.
99	24	"The Fledgling"	Harry Harris	Earl Hamner	February 26, 1976
John Boy is offered an amazing printing press for a good price by a retiring newsman. Despite being a college student, he gets a full-time job to pay for the press and a boarding house room near his college. After a while, however, he begins to realize that he's working too hard.
100	25	"The Collision"	Richard Thomas	John McGreevey	March 4, 1976
John Boy meets with the wealthy Selina again when she comes home from Vassar College. Her enthusiasm for the War in Spain and those reporting on the conflict cause John Boy to struggle to decide where he belongs: Walton's Mountain or Spain. As he tries to define courage, Selina's family's financial problems suddenly come to light, causing a change in her own plans. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is jealous of another schoolgirl who has fancier possessions.

Season 5 (1976–77)

The time is 1937–38, during the Great Depression.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
101	1	"The First Edition"	Lawrence Dobkin	John McGreevey	September 23, 1976
The Blue Ridge Chronicle (John-Boy's newly founded newspaper) is open for business! The only problem is, the paper embarasses the family, as it reports that Ben and his friends were caught breaking into a house. Meanwhile, Corabeth realizes she had only a "false pregnancy" and, believing she is barren and has disappointed Ike, almost deserts him.
102	2	"The Vigil"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	September 30, 1976
Grandma's struck ill. Trying to prove herself as a nurse, Mary Ellen treats her for influenza. But it turns out the problem is different—and life-threatening. Mary Ellen feels guilty over her misdiagnosis.
103	3	"The Comeback"	Harvey S. Laidman	Seth Freeman	October 7, 1976
Jason becomes the new piano man at the Dew Drop Inn, much to chagrin of Olivia and Grandma who disapprove of drinking. He persuades a former bandleader named Red (Merle Haggard), who had been sequestered after the death of his son Seth (played by Ron Howard in a previous episode), to return to the stage. For the subplot, Yancey Tucker loves Cissy but is uneasy at the thought of marriage, so Cissy pretends interest in John-Boy in order to get Yancey to propose.
104	4	"The Baptism"	Ralph Waite	Andy White	October 14, 1976
A famous revival preacher is coming to town, and Esther and Olivia hope that John and Ben will be converted and baptized. John is almost struck by lighting during a storm, which some see as an omen. A peacock wanders onto the home place and is adopted by Jim-Bob who nicknames him "Rover"
105	5	"The Fire Storm"	Ralph Senensky	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	October 21, 1976
John-Boy's attempts at keeping Walton's Mountain residents up to date with current events don't work out so well, especially after he attempts to put excerpts of Mein Kampf in his newspaper.
106	6	"The Nightwalker"	Harvey S. Laidman	Paul West	October 28, 1976
A mysterious being stalks Walton's Mountain, seeming to spy on people. Jason books his band to play in Ike's new dance hall, but people are afraid to come. The prowler is finally found to be mute son of a new neighbor.
107 108	7 8	"The Wedding"	Lawrence Dobkin	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	November 4, 1976
In a double-length episode, Mary Ellen surprises everyone with the announcement of her engagement to hospital intern David Spencer. Meanwhile, a new doctor, Curtis Willard (Tom Bower) arrives to practice in the community, though he and Mary Ellen don't get along well. He dislikes her attempts to reorganize his office, and she feels he talks too bluntly to patients. But she comes to decide she doesn't really love David, and her love-hate relationship with Curtis ends up in marriage.
109	9	"The Cloudburst"	Harry Harris	Paul Cooper	November 11, 1976
John-Boy sells most of his meadow to pay off his printing press so he can continue the Blue Ridge Chronicle, deeply upsetting Grandpa. He then is alarmed at learning the land company plans to buy up more small plots so they can do hydraulic gold mining in the community. After fainting while watching Curt perform an emergency tracheotomy, Mary Ellen is later encouraged when she successfully delivers Mrs. Fordwick's baby.
110	10	"The Great Motorcycle Race"	Richard Thomas	John Joseph[6]	November 18, 1976
Jim-Bob uses Ike's motorcycle to enter a local bike race, to Olivia's great alarm. Meanwhile, Ike and Corabeth go to the adoption agency to bring home their promised baby boy but return instead with 10-year-old Aimee Louise. Corabeth worries when Aimee does not immediately bond with them, but she finally shows affection.
111	11	"The Pony Cart"	Ralph Senensky	Jack Miller	December 2, 1976
The irascible Martha Corrine Walton, in her 90s, makes an unexpected return to Walton's Mountain, and reminisces about her early life as the bride of a Civil War veteran. As John-Boy takes her to visit her husband's grave, she has a heart attack. Veteran actress Beulah Bondi won an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Single Performance for her guest appearance as Martha Corrine Walton in this episode.
112	12	"The Best Christmas"	Lawrence Dobkin	John McGreevey	December 9, 1976
Olivia sets about making this Christmas 'the best we ever had', but a variety of emergency circumstances arise to keep each of the Walton children from coming home.
113	13	"The Last Mustang"	Walter Alzmann	Calvin Clements, Jr.	December 16, 1976
John-Boy, as newspaper editor, gets tangled up in the coming sheriff's election, in which a handsome, polished stranger runs against the incumbent, down-to-earth Ep Bridges. When editor John-Boy refuses to endorse the new candidate, his staff threaten to retaliate by undermining the Waltons' lumber business. Meanwhile, Grandpa tries to help 'The Last Mustang' after it is captured and then breaks free again.
114	14	"The Rebellion"	Harvey S. Laidman	Kathleen Hite	December 23, 1976
Olivia, yearning for change, contemplates cutting her hair. When John protests, she decides on a perm from Corabeth instead, which is disastrous and ridiculed. Grandma, happy with things just the way they are, threatens to become a Methodist when she is asked by the preacher to share organ duties with one of her fiercest rivals. Grandpa lands in hot water when he tries to mediate the dispute.
115	15	"The Ferris Wheel"	Lawrence Dobkin	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	January 6, 1977
Nightmares begin to get the better of Elizabeth, who dreams she is trapped at the top of a carnival Ferris wheel. She discovers she has been suppressing a traumatic memory. Meanwhile, Ben is concerned that he is not growing in height. Note: This was the last episode Ellen Corby completed before suffering a stroke in November 1976. Her first appearance after recovering is the final episode of the sixth season, "Grandma Comes Home" (see below).
116	16	"The Elopement"	Harry Harris	Hindi Brooks	January 13, 1977
Chad Marshall returns to Walton's Mountain and proposes to Erin. The Walton children, minding Ike's store, inadvertently extend credit to Maude Gormley. When John-Boy visits Maude about her store debt, he discovers she paints beautiful bird pictures.
117	17	"John's Crossroad"	Richard Thomas	Andy White and Paul West	January 20, 1977
John gets a city job in Charlottesville, working in a stuffy government office for a tyrannical, controlling boss who is feared by his staff. They sometimes must stay overtime. Despite the money, John realizes the job is not for him and quits.
118	18	"The Career Girl"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	January 27, 1977
Erin has finally graduated high school; now she must decide where her future lies.
119	19	"The Hero"	Anthony Brand	Kathleen Hite	February 3, 1977
Honor Day brings about the surprising fact that Sheriff Ep Bridges had won medals for bravery in World War I. John-Boy locates a lady wartime ambulance driver who had been Ep's first love, and brings her to the community's memorial day ceremony.
120	20	"The Inferno"	Harry Harris	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	February 10, 1977
John-Boy wins a journalism contest, the prize being $25 and an all-expense paid trip to cover the landing of the Hindenburg in Lakehurst, New Jersey. After witnessing the airship burst into flames, he returns home traumatized and unable to write about the disaster. Meanwhile, Curt and Mary Ellen are frustrated at not having private time alone from the family.
121	21	"The Heartbreaker"	Ralph Waite	Seth Freeman	February 17, 1977
Jason falls deeply in love with Curt's young sister who joins as a singer with their band. He doesn't realize that she takes relationships rather lightly and she soon dumps him for another band member.
122	22	"The Long Night"	Harry Harris	Teleplay by: Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson Story by: Katharyn Michaelian Powers and Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	February 24, 1977
Grandpa, after complaining loudly about conditions in the hospital, is banned by the staff from further visits with Grandma there. He feels down, until he discovers that Aimee Godsey needs a grandfather.
123	23	"The Hiding Place"	Walter Alzmann	John McGreevey	March 3, 1977
The Baldwin sisters' cousin has just come back home after 17 years of living in Germany. Because she keeps avoiding John-Boy's questions about current events in Germany, John-Boy thinks she's hiding something. Meanwhile, Jason joins the National Guard, against his mother's wishes.
124	24	"The Go-Getter"	Lawrence Dobkin	Andy White and Paul West	March 10, 1977
Ben becomes a used car salesman, smooth-talking customers to buy old clunkers, acting cocky and making fun of Jim-Bob's jalopy. Sheriff Bridges takes his date (a nurse he knew in World War I) to a movie and to dinner at the Waltons, then they go off to get married, to everyone's delight.
125	25	"The Achievement"	Harry Harris	Dale Eunson and Andy White	March 17, 1977
John-Boy is worried after a New York publishing company has kept his novel manuscript for six weeks with no reply. He goes there by bus to discover his manuscript lying in a stack waiting to be read. He meets with the publisher, a sympathetic woman who agrees to read his novel immediately. He also goes to meet his friend Daisy from Virginia, who now works as a taxi-dancer in a New York ballroom; they flirt, and she lends him a little money. While John-Boy reports this good news to his family, Mary Ellen and Curt also have special news of their own, she is pregnant. Note: This is Richard Thomas's farewell episode. He would make two more guest appearances before the role was recast to Robert Wightman. As John-Boy reminisces about his experiences, flashback clips are shown from previous episodes, including two from the original The Homecoming pilot, (in which Learned and Waite are edited in to replace Patricia Neal and Andrew Duggan, who played Olivia and John in the pilot).

Season 6 (1977–78)

The time is 1939–41, during the Great Depression, which is starting to feel the effects of World War II in Europe.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
126	1	"The Hawk"	Anthony Brand	Andy White	September 15, 1977
Grandpa and Jim Bob try to trap a hawk who's been terrorizing the Waltons' chickens; while a new preacher comes to town, stirring up a big 'to do' among the ladies.
127	2	"The Stray"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	September 22, 1977
A young black boy (Todd Bridges) is found in the Walton barn. Not knowing where he came from or who his parents are, the Waltons take him in for a while. He is found to have traveled alone from North Carolina. He tries to help with chores and by catching fish. Although he begs to be adopted by the Walton family, Verdie and Harley decide it more acceptable to adopt him instead.
128	3	"The Recluse"	Walter Alzmann	Seth Freeman	September 29, 1977
Ben leaves home to work at a Norfolk defense factory. Tensions run high between Grandpa and John as they take on too big a furniture contract to fill without Ben's help. Grandpa and Ben visit a restaurant with hula dancers. Meanwhile, Jason makes friends with a reclusive woman, and leads her out of depression back into the world.
129	4	"The Warrior"	Ralph Senensky	Joan Scott	October 13, 1977
A Cherokee Indian man and his grandson come to stay with the Waltons; the man claims a sacred tribal burial ground is beneath the Walton barn, which he tries to burn down at night to "purify" the ground.
130	5	"The Seashore"	Lawrence Dobkin	Marion Hargrove	October 20, 1977
Contracted to fix the Baldwin sisters' beach cottage, John will be gone for at least a week, so Olivia decides the whole family needs a vacation there (escept Ben). The Waltons find an English girl squatting in the cottage who seems to be hiding a secret; she and Jason are questioned by a suspicious Coast Guard. Meanwhile Ben is home doing all the family chores, and frustrated not to have time alone with his girlfriend.
131	6	"The Volunteer"	Philip Leacock	Kathleen Hite	October 27, 1977
When Erin declines G. W. Haines's marriage proposal, he decides to join the U.S. Army. The Walton parents reluctantly let Erin go to visit G. W. overnight at his Army camp, where he makes unwanted advances to her. Maude Gormley sells her first painting at Ike's store, and offers more paintings for sale through an art dealer.
132 133	7 8	"The Grandchild"	Ralph Senensky	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	November 3, 1977
Mary Ellen is taken to the hospital with only false labor, and the family and neighbors are relieved when she finally delivers a baby, John Curtis, some days later. She had been scared to death of omens after encountering a very superstitious woman. The woman, who's baby was stillborn, then kidnaps John Curtis out of jealousy. Meanwhile, a fire at the Drew Drop Inn leaves Jason jobless. He finds a job playing piano at a Charlottesville burlesque house, whose show Grandpa, Ben, and Jim Bob see. Jason later settles for a gospel band instead, to his mother's relief.
134	9	"The First Casualty"	Harry Harris	Andy White	November 10, 1977
Curt is called into the U.S. Army Medical Corps, then Walton's Mountain receives its first war casualty as G.W. is killed in a training exercise. Yancy Tucker hastily marries Sissy and then goes to enlist in the service.
135	10	"The Battle of Drucilla's Pond"	Philip Leacock	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	November 17, 1977
U.S. soldiers begin staging war games at Drucilla's Pond, killing fish and scaring the Waltons' cow into giving birth. Olivia enters her scenic paintings in a local art show, whereupon Grandpa secretly buys them back to keep.
136	11	"The Flight"	Ralph Waite	Michael Raschella & Carole Raschella	December 1, 1977
Jim-Bob becomes friends with a boy who says he's joining the Air Corps, but he seems to be hiding something. It turns out that he came to the area to check on his sister, who was adopted by a nearby family. Maude Gormley takes Elizabeth's goat, hoping that Elizabeth will come visit her.
137	12	"The Milestone"	Philip Leacock	Kathleen Hite	December 8, 1977
Olivia suddenly becomes emotionally fragile and runs away from her home, going to her Aunt Kate in her birth town for help.
138 139	13 14	"The Children's Carol"	Lawrence Dobkin	John McGreevey	December 15, 1977
Two British children escape the London Blitz to find safety in Walton's Mountain with the Baldwins, and with the Waltons for Christmas. Meanwhile, Jason contemplates whether he can fight in the impending war and Olivia has a faith crisis as she can't understand how God could allow war.
140	15	"The Celebration"	Gwen Arner	Marion Hargrove	December 22, 1977
The Waltons are excited to find out that after two more payments, John will own the mill and be completely clear of debt. However, Ike has a financial emergency when he is unable to sell a large supply of refrigerators, so John agrees to lend Ike the money so his store will not be foreclosed. The ladies conspire to find a match for Reverend Buchanan; he shocks them by dating Marsha Woolery.
141	16	"The Rumor"	Ralph Waite	Kathleen Hite	January 5, 1978
When a bilingual Pennsylvania Dutch family moves onto Walton's Mountain, a neighbor circulates a rumor that they are German spies, especially after they show interest in Jim Bob's short-wave radio. John Sr. defends the innocent man, and hires him at his saw mill. The neighbors are finally convinced of the family's innocence after a suspicious package the family receives at Ike's post office turns out to be only medicine.
142	17	"Spring Fever"	Richard Chaffee	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	January 12, 1978
Ben and Jim Bob begin to act hostile toward each other, culminating in them competing to date each other's girlfriends. The family repaint the house.
143	18	"The Festival"	Gwen Arner	Michael McGreevey	January 26, 1978
Jason and Josh, the runaway boy who was found in the Walton's barn, become a great musical team, but some doors are closed to them because Josh is black. After they are excluded from the nearby town's festival, the boy's adoptive father, Harley, counsels him bitterly to not trust white people. However, Jason and Josh organize their own talent show instead.
144	19	"The Anniversary"	Walter Alzmann	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	February 2, 1978
John and Olivia's 25th Anniversary brings lots of surprises: the children do too well organizing a secret party, Olivia arranges for the installation of their first phone, and John builds her a romantic gazebo. At work, Mary Ellen reunites with the ex-fiance she jilted to marry Curt, while her absent Army husband is attracted to a lovely nurse. At the end of the day Curt surprises them all by coming home on a weekend pass, and the party turns into a late-night picnic on Walton's Mountain.
145	20	"The Family Tree"	Lawrence Dobkin	Teleplay by: Thomas Hood Story by: Joyce Perry and Thomas Hood	February 9, 1978
Elizabeth becomes pen pals with a soldier. The only problem: she says she's 18 and sends him a picture of Erin, saying it's her. Meanwhile, Jason takes Verdie to a farmhouse to find information about her ancestors who had been slaves there, but they are rebuffed by the bitter widow who refuses them access to papers in her attic. Grandpa Zeb finally convinces the owner to allow them in the attic where they find items of great interest.
146 147	21 22	"The Ordeal"	Lawrence Dobkin	Paul West	February 16, 1978
Due to Jim Bob and Ben's negligence, Elizabeth has a dire accident, tumbling off a stack of loose logs she has climbed on to reach a bird's nest. The family must help keep Elizabeth's determination high when the doctor is unsure as to whether she will ever walk again.
148 149	23 24	"The Return"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	March 16, 1978
John-Boy returns to Walton's Mountain on assignment to write a news story, after he receives a letter from Olivia saying that hard times have hit Jefferson County and jobs are scarce. John-Boy decides to reopen the Guthrie coal mine to create more jobs; his family will begin by doing carpentry to shore up the mine shaft. But when many of the local men (including John, Jason, Ben, Jim-Bob, Harley and Ike) are trapped in a cave-in while exploring the site, John-Boy seems to be the person to blame.
150	25	"The Revelation"	Gwen Arner	D.C. Fontana & Richard Fontana	March 23, 1978
John-Boy proposes to Daisy in New York City and she accepts, so they return to Walton's Mountain to make preparations. However, a wartime assignment for John-Boy in London and a secret about Daisy's past cut their plans short. Daisy is revealed to have a young daughter, born out of wedlock and being raised by Daisy's mother in Lynchburg. In the subplot, Elizabeth and her friend George open up a lemonade stand and Grandpa spikes their product with the Baldwin Sisters' "recipe".
151	26	"Grandma Comes Home"	Ralph Senensky	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	March 30, 1978
Grandma, barely able to speak,finally returns home after being in the hospital for over a year. Grandpa is overjoyed, but thinks there is something wrong with his "old woman". A boy gives Elizabeth a piglet for her 4-H project, but it keeps running away. Note: In sad irony, as this was Ellen Corby's first episode back after suffering a stroke in November 1976 (during the fifth season), this was also Will Geer's last episode as he died before the show started its seventh season.

Season 7 (1978–79)

The time is 1941–42, as the U.S. heads toward direct involvement in World War II.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
152 153	1 2	"The Empty Nest"	Philip Leacock	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	September 21, 1978
Life seems to be changing on Walton's Mountain after Grandpa's death. John Sr. struggles to handle a busy lumber contract alone, taking out a bank loan. Erin, Mary Ellen and the baby move to a Charlottesville apartment, but then return home. John has the opportunity to take a job which would offer security, money, and a good life; but it requires the family to move to Richmond. In other subplots, Ben experiences problems when he takes over John's order in his absence, Jim-Bob purchases and repairs an old jukebox, and Zuleika Dunbar purchases the old boarding house which had been closed since Flossie Brimmer died (Nora Marlowe, who played Flossie Brimmer in 27 episodes, died in 1977).
154	3	"The Calling"	Gwen Arner	Kathleen Hite	September 28, 1978
Jim-Bob falls for the Baldwin's pretty Catholic cousin, who then breaks his heart by joining a convent. Meanwhile Ben hires a helping hand on the mill, not realizing he's a drunkard, sloppy and unreliable. John Sr. orders Ben to fire the man.
155	4	"The Moonshiner"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jeb Rosebrook	October 12, 1978
Boone Walton, finally caught running his moonshine business, is convicted to a jail sentence. Jason offers to pay the fine and take Boone into his custody, hoping to reform the old man. Boone help the Baldwin sisters who have misplaced their father's recipe. Unfortunately Boone can't stay dry and runs off. John Boy's former fiancee Daisy and her child visit briefly en route to New York City.
156	5	"The Obsession"	Gwen Arner	Juliet Packer	October 19, 1978
Mary Ellen becomes dependent on amphetamines to keep her going during the stressful time leading up to her nursing exams. Meanwhile, Cissy Tucker walks out on Yancy, tired of their dirty home and Yancy's animals, and Elizabeth attempts to get the couple back together again.
157	6	"The Changeling"	Lawrence Dobkin	Robert Pirosh	October 26, 1978
Strange happenings coincide with the coming of Elizabeth's 13th birthday. Meanwhile, Jason becomes the host of a new radio show, giving relationship advice.
158	7	"The Portrait"	Ralph Senensky	John Dunkel	November 2, 1978
Erin wrestles with feelings of love and fear toward an artist who has devastating memories of German-occupied Paris and who attempts to paint her in a mural he has almost completed. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth buy a canary for Grandma, but can't get him to sing.
159	8	"The Captive"	Ralph Waite	Ray Cunneff	November 9, 1978
Corabeth, going through a midlife crisis, tries numerous failed business endeavors such as a dance studio, all the while seeking refuge in alcohol. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob tries to teach Elizabeth to drive.
160	9	"The Illusion"	Walter Alzmann	John McGreevey	November 16, 1978
Verdie Foster's business-educated daughter, Esther, comes home from New York and creates turbulent feelings with her revolutionary (for the 1940s) ideas about a black woman's place in society. Erin fights to get J.D. Pickett to hire Esther as personnel manager at his inefficient production plant.
161	10	"The Beau"	Gwen Arner	D.C. Fontana & Richard Fontana	November 23, 1978
One of Grandma's old beaus, a widower from Richmond, comes to visit and begins to really bond with her, taking her on several enjoyable dates. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob and Yancy distill alcohol strong enough to run their cars on after gas is rationed. Corabeth adds stylish hats to the store inventory.
162	11	"Day of Infamy"	Harry Harris	Paul Savage	December 7, 1978
Just as Mary Ellen prepares to join Curt in Hawaii, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, forcing the U.S. into World War II and leaving Mary Ellen and Verdie concerned for their loved ones stationed there. Meanwhile, Ben takes out a girl nicknamed "Sinful Cindy", whom Olivia does not approve of. (This episode was first aired on Pearl Harbor Day.)
163	12	"The Yearning"	Nell Cox	Juliet Packer	December 14, 1978
Elizabeth has a big crush on the new minister. Meanwhile, Erin helps the Baldwin sisters write a book from their father's journals and they are astonished to find that their father had hidden a letter from Ashley Longworth to Miss Emily.
164	13	"The Boosters"	Harry Harris	Robert Pirosh	December 28, 1978
Wanting to make a profit off of the now heavy traffic near Walton's Mountain, Ben, Ike, and Corabeth decide to build an auto court and landscaped town square. Yancey studies barbering, practicing on his reluctant neighbors.
165	14	"The Conscience"	Gwen Arner	Michael McGreevey	January 4, 1979
Trouble breaks out in the community and the family when Jason considers signing up as a conscientious objector. Jim-Bob can't wait to join the Air Corps, however, and gets a tattoo.
166	15	"The Obstacle"	William H. Bushnell	Curtis Dwight	January 11, 1979
John Boy's old college roommate Mike Paxton stays with the Waltons after he is injured when his ship is torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Meanwhile, Ike and Ben perform a song-and-dance routine to audition for the USO.
167	16	"The Parting"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	January 18, 1979
Olivia receives unwelcome news from the doctor. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is making a family cookbook and discovers a surprise ingredient in Grandma's sponge cake. Also, Jim-Bob drives the whole family crazy by taking up the accordion. Note: This is Michael Learned's last episode of the season. She returns in the season eight episode "The Home Front".
168	17	"The Burden"	Harry Harris	E.F. Wallengren	January 25, 1979
With Olivia away, Jim-Bob runs wild carousing until a near-death experience convinces him it's a sign from God to join the ministry. He continually quotes Bible verses, until realizing that ordination unfortunately requires years of training. Meanwhile, Elizabeth bothers the family with her bug collecting.
169	18	"The Pin-Up"	Larry Stewart	Juliet Packer	February 8, 1979
Ben begins dabbling in photography and jokingly takes a revealing picture of Erin which quickly becomes the popular pin-up picture at Camp Lee. Though Erin enjoys the fan mail, John strongly disapproves. Meanwhile, Mary Ellen becomes overly protective of John Curtis and neglects her nursing career.
170	19	"The Attack"	Harry Harris	E.F. Wallengren	February 15, 1979
With the stress of the price freeze, food rationing, and extra business, Ike suffers a heart attack. Corabeth blames herself for Ike's attack. The Walton children offer to run the store while he recovers in the hospital. They sell a mule. Meanwhile, Ben and Jim-Bob get into the molasses business to make up for the sugar shortage Walton's Mountain is experiencing.
171	20	"The Legacy"	Gwen Arner	Teleplay by: William Parker Story by: Michael Learned	February 22, 1979
Miss Emily's memories of her old beau Ashley Longworth are stirred up when his handsome son Ashley Jr. (Jonathan Frakes) arrives on leave from the Navy. Erin falls for Ashley despite Miss Emily's adamant belief he is his father.
172	21	"The Outsider"	Philip Leacock	Robert Pirosh	March 1, 1979
The entire Walton family is shocked when Ben announces that he is eloped with Cindy. The young couple settle into a shed on the property and have petty disagreements until the others convince Ben that he is overly bossing her and should back off. Ike buys Corabeth a decorative outdoor fountain.
173	22	"The Torch"	David F. Wheeler	Rod Peterson	March 8, 1979
John's old high school flame buys and operates the Dew Drop Inn, while Elizabeth, Erin, and Cindy attempt to open a canteen for the soldiers on leave from the camp at Rockfish.
174	23	"The Tailspin"	Walter Alzmann	Claire Whitaker	March 15, 1979
Jim-Bob's sky-high dreams of becoming a pilot crash and burn when he learns his eyesight isn't 20/20. Cora Beth tries to tutor him in classic literature. He gets prescription glasses, but will not wear them. He finally leaves to enlist in the Army, but at the last minute decides to stay home and study aircraft mechanics. Meanwhile a friend of Curt's from his hometown, stationed nearby, visits and after some hesitation, Mary Ellen joins him on a date.
175	24	"Founder's Day"	Ralph Waite	Kathleen Hite	March 22, 1979
The Waltons, Godseys and Baldwins compete to see who is the founding family of Walton's Mountain. Jason's strict music professor criticizes his new composition, until he hears Jason play it on Founders Day.

Season 8 (1979–80)

The time is 1943–44, during World War II.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
176 177	1 2	"The Home Front"	Harry Harris	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	September 20, 1979
John becomes the local draft-board director while Erin tries to get a raise from J.D. Pickett. John must deal with a furious father whose son that John drafted dies on his troop transport headed for Europe, and with his own feelings of loss when he receives a telegram stating John Boy is MIA.
178	3	"The Kinfolk"	Philip Leacock	E.F. Wallengren	September 27, 1979
Cousin Rose and her two mischievous grandchildren arrive at the Waltons'; the children cause trouble like shoplifting and starting a brush fire. Ike and Jim-Bob build an air-raid siren.
179	4	"The Diploma"	Gwen Arner	Kathleen Hite	October 4, 1979
John discovers that he never received his high-school diploma since he enlisted for World War I before he graduated, and the Army refuses to do business with him if he cannot produce it, so he must take an equivalency exam. Mary Ellen takes over for the county nurse (who joined the army), and must earn the skeptical backwoods people's trust.
180	5	"The Innocents"	Gwen Arner	Juliet Packer	October 11, 1979
Olivia creates a daycare facility for the children whose mothers are working at Pickett's Steel Plant, instead of Mr. Pickett's proposal to use the space for a tavern. Ike takes dancing lessons from Rose, acting giddy and making Corabeth suspect he is having an affair.
181	6	"The Starlet"	Philip Leacock	D.C. Fontana & Richard Fontana	October 18, 1979
A Hollywood director shooting a war film at Pickett's Plant tells Erin she has a movie-making career. She and Mary Ellen decide to move to California after they realize the defense plants out there pay more than J.D. Pickett does. But to Mr. Pickett's and the family's final relief, the girls change their minds after realizing the movie director was only flattering Erin. Meanwhile, the Baldwin sisters organize a party for soldiers at their home, but are disappointed when no one comes (the men probably thought it would be boring and old-fashioned).
182	7	"The Journal"	Philip Leacock	Robert Pirosh	October 25, 1979
With John-Boy MIA, the manuscript he wrote prior to the assignment is waiting to be published but John and Olivia must sign in John Boy's absence. Meanwhile, they try to locate him through the Red Cross. In the subplot, the family's beloved hound dog Reckless, whom Jeffrey has become attached to, dies of old age while romping through the woods with Jeffrey.
183	8	"The Lost Sheep"	Walter Alzmann	E.F. Wallengren	November 1, 1979
Ashley Longworth Jr. returns to propose to Erin, but after experiencing combat he seems to be different and Erin is having a hard time adjusting to Ashley's 'dead' outlook on life and drinking. Rose's granddaughter becomes Elizabeth's shadow.
184	9	"The Violated"	Walter Alzmann	Robert Pirosh	November 8, 1979
In part one of a two-part story, Olivia is shocked when she discovers the reason Darcy Thatcher, wife of a young soldier, is no longer responding to his letters. Meanwhile, Corabeth receives a large inheritance, buys a luxury car and talks of retiring. The episode ends with the Walton family receiving news about John-Boy.
185	10	"The Waiting"	Philip Leacock	Kathleen Hite	November 22, 1979
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Waltons finally hear about John-Boy; after being found in a hospital in Europe he is transferred to Washington D.C. Olivia moves there and becomes a Red Cross caseworker, and befriends a young amputee who has no family. Notes: Robert Wightman takes over the role of John-Boy Walton. This is also Michael Learned's last appearance in the original series; she will appear in four of the six reunion movies.
186	11	"The Silver Wings"	Stan Lathan	Michael McGreevey	November 29, 1979
Jim-Bob falls for an attractive older woman, the wife of an Air Corps pilot, and helps her do home repairs. After he gives her jewelry, she realizes he has become too smitten and tells him they must just be friends. Then she learns her husband was killed in action. Jim-Bob takes his first ride in a biplane. Rose's granddaughter wanders into the woods at night.
187	12	"The Wager"	Gwen Arner	Teleplay by: E.F. Wallengren Story by: Claylene Jones	December 13, 1979
Mary Ellen and Erin try to prove they can do anything as well as men, so they enter the 1st Annual Run and Ride Race in Rockfish and eagerly exercise (with Elizabeth coaching) to train for the race.
188	13	"The Spirit"	Herbert Hirschman	Kathleen Hite	December 20, 1979
A series of thefts worries the community, while Jeffrey makes friends with a mysterious visitor on Walton's Mountain, an escaped German prisoner. Corabeth's holiday pageant is cancelled.
189	14	"The Fastidious Wife"	Gwen Arner	Loraine Despres	December 27, 1979
Cindy follows a book's advice on how to be a good wife, but ends up exhausting herself. Rose's grandchildren adopt a cat which has a litter of kittens.
190	15	"The Unthinkable"	Ralph Waite	Dan Ullman	January 3, 1980
Jason realizes the full horrors of war when his Jewish fellow soldier Ted Lupinsky reveals that his grandfather was killed in a Nazi extermination camp. Jason invites him to stay with the Walton family over the weekend. Meanwhile, Elizabeth must deal with being teased and called a "teacher's pet" by her friends when she get straight A's on her report card.
191	16	"The Idol"	Gwen Arner	Juliet Packer	January 10, 1980
Elizabeth makes great friends with the new progressive school teacher, Ms. Lamphere, until she discovers her friend has a terminal illness. Meanwhile, as the time nears for Cindy and Ben's baby to arrive, Ben waits it out drinking. Ben can't be found when Cindy goes into labor, so the Waltons escort her to the hospital where she gives birth to daughter Virginia.
192	17	"The Prodigals"	Stan Lathan	Robert Pirosh	January 17, 1980
Josh and Jeffrey get into major trouble when they get involved in crap-shooting. Jeffrey steals money from Ike's store, and Josh is blamed for the theft. The truth finally comes out after Jeffrey tries to run away. Meanwhile Ben, although married, wrestles with whether to join the Navy.
193	18	"The Remembrance"	Herbert Hirschman	Marion Hargrove	January 24, 1980
Grandpa's childhood friend, the independent Cousin Zadok, comes to Walton's Mountain to keep a 20-year-old appointment. Zadok wills his experimental orchard to the University, and gives the Waltons a family-heirloom fiddle. Jason meets a beautiful young WAC officer on base.
194	19	"The Inspiration"	Ralph Waite	E.F. Wallengren	January 31, 1980
Grandma returns home and meets the new housekeeper, Rose. Miss Mamie refuses to have cataract surgery, so John and Mary Ellen move Grandma in with the Baldwins to convince the sisters that surgery is the right thing to do. Elizabeth tries different ways to get a certain boy to ask her to an upcoming dance, but ends up going with someone else.
195	20	"The Last Straw"	Harry Harris	William Parker	February 7, 1980
One thing after another goes wrong for John, who is swamped with orders at the mill. When the motor from the old power saw blows out, it becomes the "last straw" for John and he quits the lumber business. In the subplot, Jeffrey builds a racing cart for a school project and hopes that Ike will be able to bring the All American Soap Box Derby to Walton's Mountain.
196	21	"The Traveling Man"	Herbert Hirschman	Kathleen Hite	February 14, 1980
Stanley Perkins, an old beau of Rose's who danced the nights away with her back in Baltimore, comes to Walton's Mountain and proposes to her, even planning to buy a house nearby. However, she realizes he subconsciously wants to move to California.
197	22	"The Furlough"	Harry Harris	Juliet Packer	February 21, 1980
John-Boy returns to Walton's Mountain physically healthy but mentally tormented by the fact that he can't remember the moments of the plane crash. Ike ignores his military-draft notice and is arrested for evasion.
198	23	"The Medal"	Walter Alzmann	Rod Peterson	February 28, 1980
Mary Ellen falls for a fiery young Mexican-American paratrooper whose life Curt saved at Pearl Harbor. He gets into a scuffle with some sailors who insult him at Godsey's Store. Meanwhile, Corabeth encounters a former admirer who begs her to meet him for a romantic tryst at his hotel before he is sent overseas.
199	24	"The Valediction"	Harry Harris	Claire Whitaker	March 13, 1980
Jim-Bob contemplates failing a school examination so he won't have to be valedictorian. Once he graduates, he and his classmates enlist in the military. Substitute-teacher Corabeth suggests a too-frilly graduation ceremony. Meanwhile, all the Walton boys are sent overseas for active duty when the Allies invade France. Erin gets a "Dear Joan" letter from Ashley Longworth Jr. Note: This is Ellen Corby's last appearance in the regular series; she will return in five of the six reunion movies.
—	—	"The Waltons: A Decade of The Waltons"	Harry Harris & Philip Leacock	Earl Hamner	May 22, 1980
As the family prepare a surprise party for Grandma's birthday, they reminisce (via flashbacks) about various events in their lives.

Season 9 (1980–81)

The year is 1945 and 1946 during the end of World War II and shortly after.^[1]

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
200 201	1 2	"The Outrage"	Philip Leacock	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	November 27, 1980
Verdi's husband Harley is accused of escaping prison for a murder (which was in self-defense) 9 years ago and is reluctantly arrested by Sheriff Bridges. Meanwhile, Elizabeth spends her time with her new horse Molly, Corabeth resigns from the general store when Ike accuses her of being too much of a business woman and not enough of a wife, and the D-Day invasion begins in France. John fights to clear Harley's name by traveling to Warm Springs, Georgia where he gets President Roosevelt to issue Harley an official pardon, just before the President's sudden death which is mourned by the nation.
202	3	"The Pledge"	Lawrence Dobkin	Kathleen Hite	December 4, 1980
Mary Ellen attempts to enroll in medical school in order to become a doctor after the community's beloved "Sweet Billy" dies, but she is discouraged by the school's sexist Dean. Meanwhile, Jason receives many presents for his birthday as he and John Boy fight in France.
203	4	"The Triumph"	Philip Leacock	Robert Pirosh	December 18, 1980
Germany surrenders in the war but Jason and his squad must contend with a German sniper who doesn't know it's over. In other subplots, Ben still deals with the Japanese in the Pacific, Jim-Bob and his friend consider being conscientious objectors and Ike's store is robbed.
204	5	"The Premonition"	Bernard McEveety	E.F. Wallengren	December 25, 1980
John Boy falls deeply in love with a French girl in Paris. Cindy dreams she sees a vision of Ben, then learns that he and some of his fellow seamen are captured by the Japanese.
205	6	"The Pursuit"	Philip Leacock	Michael McGreevey	January 1, 1981
Jim-Bob comes home on furlough, but runs into trouble when a girl arrives claiming to be pregnant with his child. Mary Ellen finds the girl is only faking pregnancy. Meanwhile, Jason reunites with Antoinette (Toni) in Paris, and Ben and his navy buddies defy the Japanese commandant in the POW camp by raising a makeshift US flag.
206	7	"The Last Ten Days"	Bernard McEveety	Marion Hargrove	January 8, 1981
Ben and his fellow POWs are worried they might be executed after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ensure an end to the war. Meanwhile, Jason and Toni have differing plans for their future together.
207	8	"The Move"	Harvey S. Laidman	Kathleen Hite	January 15, 1981
Ben returns from the Pacific theatre and enthusiastically plans to go away to Engineering college. But he changes his mind and agrees to stay in the saw mill after the family receives unwelcome news: Olivia's tuberculosis has relapsed. She has to go to an Arizona sanatorium and John decides to go with her. Note: This is Ralph Waite's final appearance in the regular series, returning for all six reunion movies
208	9	"The Whirlwind"	Nell Cox	Claire Whitaker	January 22, 1981
Jason bites off more than he can chew when he buys the Dew Drop Inn and tries to repair it for reopening. Reopening night proves a success as the neighbors come and celebrate. Mary Ellen, believing her husband was killed at Pearl Harbor, accepts Jonesy's marriage proposal until she receives some shocking news that makes her break the engagement.
209	10	"The Tempest"	Gabrielle Beaumont	E.F. Wallengren	February 5, 1981
Mary Ellen goes in search of her supposedly late husband in a little town in Florida after receiving information that a Curtis Packer was alive and was the spitting image of her own Curt. When she finds him, he initially pretends amnesia, then reveals his identity and admits that due to his injury in the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he cannot father any more children. He is also alcoholic. Meanwhile Jonesy is hired by J.D. Pickett and is immediately made Erin's boss, but she resigns, until Pickett begs her to return, offering a substantial raise. Jonesy then resigns, reunites with a returning Mary Ellen, and becomes a geology professor at Boatright. Corabeth starts a realtor business and tries to convince the Baldwins to sell and move.
210	11	"The Carousel"	Herbert Hirschman	Robert Pirosh	February 12, 1981
After Cindy's father dies in a car accident, she discovers that she was adopted. She goes about finding out about her past, eventually meeting her birth mother. Meanwhile, Drew moves in with the Waltons while his family visits his ill grandmother in Richmond, much to the delight of Elizabeth.
211	12	"The Hot Rod"	Bob Sweeney	Scott Hamner	February 19, 1981
Having just been discharged from the military, Jim-Bob and Jodie carouse and cause much trouble with their new 'hot rod' car until the sheriff straightens them out.
212	13	"The Gold Watch"	Walt Gilmore	Juliet Packer	February 26, 1981
Stanley Perkins, Rose's salesman beau, returns from his 'dream sales territory' out west. But he seems to be hiding some personal secret. Meanwhile, Toni tries to help Jason out when the Dew Drop Inn's business starts to decline.
213	14	"The Beginning"	Lawrence Dobkin	Kathleen Hite	March 5, 1981
Walton's Mountain receives a new minister, Reverend Tom Marshall, who proceeds to renovate the dilapidated church with the assistance of the Waltons and friends. Meanwhile, Jason and Toni consider marriage, but religious differences threaten their plans.
214	15	"The Pearls"	James Sheldon	Mary Worrell	March 12, 1981
Corabeth's flapper-like sister Orma Lee (Ronnie Claire Edwards in a dual role) arrives and creates fun and concern in the community, while Elizabeth tries running away to visit her parents, who are at an Arizona sanitarium. She is found at the nearby bus station.
215	16	"The Victims"	Lawrence Dobkin	Juliet Packer	March 19, 1981
The Waltons involve the sheriff as they help rescue the battered wife (Carol Jones) of a violent veteran (Ben Andrews) who has flashbacks of combat, while Jim-Bob is cheated as he tries his hand in the war surplus market.
216	17	"The Threshold"	Herbert Hirschman	Scott Hamner	April 2, 1981
John Boy returns home, and tries out for a job in Boatwright University's brand new television department, but must convince the trustees with a speech. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob makes a TV set to watch John Boy. Another woman competes with Rose for Stanley's affections. Rose tries to lose weight, and the Walton girls make her a stylish dress.
217	18	"The Indiscretion"	James Sheldon	E.F. Wallengren	May 7, 1981
Ike and Corabeth come to blows after she finds old love letters and suspects Ike is seeing another woman. Ike talks her into staying in the marriage. Drew boldly asks Elizabeth to spend the night together, but she declines.
218	19	"The Heartache"	Herbert Hirschman	Kathleen Hite	May 14, 1981
Stanley Perkins once again proposes to Rose and she accepts. However, after she discovers she has a heart condition, she breaks the engagement, not wanting to keep him from his dream of traveling. Will they ever recover their relationship? Cindy discovers she dislikes working at the dress shop and would rather stay at the farm.
219	20	"The Lumberjack"	Harvey S. Laidman	Carol Zeitz	May 21, 1981
Erin falls for Paul Northridge, the handsome son of a wealthy lumberman. Ike and Jim-Bob try a get-rich-quick scheme by hunting for uranium with a geiger counter.
220	21	"The Hostage"	Herbert Hirschman	Marjorie Fowler	May 28, 1981
After Mary Ellen saves a minor from an arranged marriage, the Walton family must contend with a very disgruntled groom.
221	22	"The Revel"	Harry Harris	Scott Hamner	June 4, 1981
John Boy goes to New York City (again) to see if his third book is to be published; but after running into many obstacles, and being evicted, he returns home feeling like a failure. Meanwhile the Baldwin sisters plan an elegant reunion ball for their finishing school class, but no one comes except the neighbors.

Reunion movies

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"A Wedding on Walton's Mountain"	Lee Philips	Marjorie Fowler & Claylene Jones	February 22, 1982
Erin is excited about her upcoming wedding to Paul, though an unexpected visit from her ex-beau Ashley Longworth Jr. complicates matters.
"Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain"	Gwen Arner	Juliet Law Packer	May 9, 1982
Mary Ellen and Jonsey finally get married. However, as Mother's Day approaches, she finds herself missing her mother Olivia, who is still recovering in a sanitarium in Arizona. After Mary Ellen is hurt in a collision with a deer and advised by a doctor never to get pregnant again, she becomes afraid that her new husband will be disappointed. Meanwhile, Aimee Godsey returns home from boarding school, acting flirtatious and sophisticated, alienating her local friends.
"A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	November 22, 1982
The family, now dispersed, reunite at Walton's Mountain to celebrate Thanksgiving 1947, while John-Boy deals with writer's block, and newlyweds Erin and Paul plan to move out of the Walton homestead. Note: This is Robert Wightman's last appearance as John Boy.
"A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion"	Harry Harris	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	November 21, 1993
In mid-November 1963, the Walton siblings and their families return to Walton's Mountain for the Thanksgiving holiday, including John Boy and his new fiancé Janet. Several days later, they receive tragic news that President Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Note: Richard Thomas reprises his role as John-Boy Walton.
"A Walton Wedding"	Robert Ellis Miller	Claire Whitaker & Rod Peterson	February 12, 1995
John-Boy and Janet are about to be wed on Walton's Mountain, though Janet's overbearing Aunt Flo (Holland Taylor), who has put herself in charge of planning the ceremony, may drive everyone crazy in the process. Grandma becomes upset at an article John-Boy wrote about her father.
"A Walton Easter"	Bill Corcoran	Julie Sayres	April 27, 1997
It is 1969 and John and Olivia are looking forward to celebrating their 40th Anniversary, John-Boy and Janet are about to have their first child, and the entire family and community are looking forward to Easter. Janet resists John-Boy's plan to maintain a home on the mountain for occasional visits, but relents when she realizes how much the area means to him. Elizabeth, home from the Peace Corps, fears that Drew has left her for another girl, but they end up reuniting.
"A Walton's Family Reunion"	N/A	N/A	October 18, 2010
A Walton's Family Reunion brings together the cast of the beloved series.

References

1. "The Waltons website". Retrieved April 6, 2011.
2. "TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes". Rev/Views. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
3. Curtis was played by Ned Beatty in season 1, The Bicycle.
4. Covington was played by David Huddleston in season 1, The Literary Man.
5. The Conflict, Season 3, Episode 1
6. John Furia, Jr.