The BEST episodes of The Waltons
Every episode of The Waltons ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Waltons!
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, during the Great Depression, the Walton family makes its small income from its saw mill on Walton's Mountain. The story is told through the eyes of John Boy, who wants to be a novelist and go to college. The saga follows the family through depression and war, through growing up, school, courtship, marriage, employment, birth, aging, illness and death.
#1 - The Search
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/1/1976
Olivia and the two youngest children, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth, go up on Walton's Mountain and become lost. They experience many challenges. Jim-Bob saves the day using woodsman skills taught to him by Grandpa.
#2 - The Children's Carol
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/15/1977
Two British children, separated from their parents due to the war, come to stay with the Baldwins. Jason is not sure he can fight in the war. Jim-Bob uses a short-wave radio and makes an amazing connection on that 1940 Christmas morning.
#3 - The Journey
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/13/1973
Maggie McKenzie would like to see the ocean once more. John-Boy takes her but must miss an important dance. Grandpa helps the children save an injured bird. Earl Hamner makes his only appearance in the series as Maggie's husband. The director of this episode, Harry Harris, who would eventually direct almost 50 episodes, was nominated for an Emmy award.
#4 - The Air Mail Man
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/13/1973
An air mail pilot, due to engine trouble, lands his plane in the Walton's meadow. With the help of John, the plane is repaired and Olivia receives a surprise birthday gift, a plane ride!
#5 - The Inferno
Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/10/1977
John-Boy travels to Lakehurst New Jersey to cover the landing of the Hindenburg and is deeply affected by its crash. Curt tries to figure out how to have more private time with Mary Ellen.
#6 - The Stray
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/1977
Strange footprints and a stringer of catfish lead the Waltons to find 12-year-old Josh, a runaway, in the barn hiding. He attaches himself to John immediately.
#7 - Founders' Day
Season 7 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/22/1979
Jason tries desperately with his music professor to meet the course's requirements of an original composition. He composes Appalachian Portrait while he plans the piece.
#8 - The Kinfolk
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/27/1979
Rose arrives for a visit which is extended with Serena and Jeffrey, her grandchildren. Jim-Bob and Ike Godsey build an air raid siren big enough for Richmond.
#9 - The House
Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/19/1976
Esther wants to save an old house from being torn down. Grandpa wants the contract to destroy it for the old wood. They both argue until Zeb realizes that house holds sentimental memories for grandma.
#10 - The Outsider
Season 7 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/1/1979
Ben comes home in the middle of the night with his new wife Cindy and they set up housekeeping in the shed. The early years of marriage aren't easy until Grandma steps in.
#11 - The Carousel
Season 9 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/12/1981
Cindy's father gets killed and Cindy finds out she is adopted when she goes through some old papers. Cindy goes to find her mother. Elizabeth and Drew have problems.
#12 - The Boondoggle
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1975
Porter Sims, a reporter from New York, comes to get material for a guide book on Virginia. John-Boy takes him to see the Baldwin sisters who allow him to look through the late Judge Baldwin's private papers. These reveal that their father was accused of treason for harboring Yankee soldiers during the Civil War. Deeply shocked and hurt, they decide not to leave their house ever again.
#13 - The Empty Nest
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/1978
Everybody mourns the death of Grandpa Zeb and Flossie Brimmer. John struggles hard to fill a huge lumber contract and Mary Ellen and Erin move to Charlottesville and get an apartment.
#14 - Day of Infamy
Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/1978
It's Christmas 1941 on Walton's Mountain. Mary Ellen says she will be going to be with Curt in Hawaii. News from Pearl Harbor comes and the Waltons are told that Curt is dead.
#15 - The Honeymoon
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/10/1974
Olivia and John go on a late honeymoon at Virginia Beach while John-Boy and Marcia Woolery try to come to an understanding in their relationship.
#16 - The Fawn
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/1973
John-Boy secures a position as rent collector for a hated landlord while Erin, who is disappointed by her knight in shining armor, nurses an orphaned fawn back to health.
#17 - The Ceremony
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/9/1972
A Jewish family, escaping refugees from Nazi Germany, come to Walton's Mountain for safety. Their 13-year-old son loses respect for his father in the son's attempt to maintain his religious beliefs and practices.
#18 - The Best Christmas
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1976
The 11 members of the Walton family are together for Christmas. This would be the last time that all of the Waltons would be together.
#19 - An Easter Story
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/19/1973
The entire family suffers a crisis when Olivia is stricken with polio. Dr. Vance prescribes the accepted treatment, but Olivia does not get better. John-Boy learns of a new treatment practiced by Sister Kenny and the family tries it to heal Olivia in time for the Easter service.
#20 - The Caretakers
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/23/1975
Grandpa and Grandma become angry with the family and move out to care for a friend's house. Everybody soon realizes that their place is back home.
#21 - The Achievement
Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/17/1977
John-Boy goes to New York City after waiting weeks without word on his novel. It pays off and John-Boy talks to an editor who agrees to publish his novel. John-Boy comes back home and tells them the good news. He also tells the family he is moving to New York City.
#22 - The Seashore
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1977
The Waltons have an encounter with a strange English girl while on a small vacation at the Baldwin sister's beach cottage. Ben stays home alone expecting to live the life of a carefree bachelor.
#23 - The Battle of Drucilla's Pond
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1977
Soldiers practice war at Drusilla's pond. Corabeth teaches a tap dance routine to Elizabeth and Aimee. They put on a show.
#24 - The Shivaree
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/30/1975
Wedding plans for the daughter of a friend go awry when the mountain custom of kidnapping the groom gets out of hand.
#25 - The Warrior
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1977
An old Indian man and his grandson, come to Walton's Mountain saying there are sacred burial grounds where the barn is built.