The BEST Episodes of The Waltons
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Jan 27, 2020
Network: CBS
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 Empty Nest
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 21, 1978
Everybody mourns the death of Grandpa Zeb and Flossie Brimmer. John struggles hard to fill a huge lumber contract and Mary Ellen & Erin move to Charlottesville and they get an apartment.
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#2 - The Illusion
Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 16, 1978
Ester Verdie's daughter comes back to Walton's Mountain disillusioned over having a college degree & unable to land a meaningful job. Erin helps her find a job at J.D. Pickett's plant.
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#3 - The Fulfillment
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired Feb 7, 1974
The Waltons bring home an 8 year boy named Stevie who is an orphan so he can experience a family setting. Stevie meets Curtis Norton a blacksmith and an immediate bond occurs. Curtis and his wife take in the boy.
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#4 - The Cradle
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired Jan 31, 1974
Olivia finds out she is pregnant and the children set out to make her and the baby a variety of presents. Elizabeth is jealous because she thinks because she is the youngest that her Mom will not love her the same way or will never have any more time for her. In the end Olivia loses the baby
8.57 #5 - The Visitor
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired Dec 12, 1974
Zeb's old friend returns to Walton's Mountain without his wife. The Walton's learn that she died earlier but he will not acknowledge her passing.
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#6 - The Honeymoon
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired Jan 10, 1974
Olivia and John go on a late honeymoon at Virginia Beach while John-Boy & Marcia Woolery try to come to an understanding in their relationship.
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#7 - Day of Infamy
Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired Dec 7, 1978
Christmas 1941. 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.
8.44 #8 - The Loss
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired Nov 13, 1975
Olivia Hill, Olivia's young cousin, returns to Walton's Mountain to grieve the sudden death of her husband. The family attempts to cheer her up. It does not work until Elizabeth's cat, Calico, gives birth to kittens.
8.38 #9 - The Song
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired Feb 20, 1975
Sally Ann Harper has eyes for Jason but Ben falls in love with her. Grandpa and John enter a billiard competition at Ike's store
8.33 #10 - The Torch
Season 7 - Episode 21 - Aired Mar 8, 1979
Cally May, John's ex-girlfriend, comes to Walton's mountain and buys the Dew Drop Inn. John and Olivia's kids try to protect John from Cally May's attention. Ike, Cindy and Elizabeth turn Godsey's hall into a canteen for soldiers from Camp Rockfish.
8.33 #11 - The Fire Storm
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired Oct 21, 1976
John-Boy tries to keep the community updated about the news in Europe sohe decides to print excerpts about Hitler's Mein Kampf in his paper. A great outcry ensues and the town is torn apart over the issue of publishing unfavorable items in the Blue Ridge Chronicle.
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#12 - The Triangle
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired Dec 20, 1973
John-Boy experiences a heart ache because Miss Hunter, his teacher, starts dating Reverend Fordwick.
8.31 #13 - The Fighter
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired Sep 25, 1975
Young prize fighter James Travis Clark from Richmond arrives on Walton's Mountain looking for work. He lives in the Walton's barn while training for his next fight. Grandma and Olivia are upset with the whole idea until they find out that James is a minister.
8.31 #14 - The Intruders
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired Dec 18, 1975
Ben gets angry and leaves home at the same time Grandpa and John enter a competition with another lumber mill for the big contract. Without knowing, Ben goes to work for the other firm. Grandpa devises a clever scheme to get their lumber to market first.
8.31 #15 - The Boosters
Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired Dec 28, 1978
Ben talks the townspeople into opening an auto court against John's advice. Yancy Tucker goes into business for himself.
8.30 
#16 - The Thanksgiving Story
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired Nov 15, 1973
Thanksgiving time on Walton's Mountain means a turkey shoot, a school play about early settlers, and the big meal. One year it also included a rekindled love affair and a life-threatening accident. John-Boy anticipates a visit from his girlfriend and is pending a college scholarship exam. He has an accident in the sawmill and his vision is blurred. He is unable to finish his test and eventually must undergo surgery.
8.30 #17 - The Breakdown
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired Oct 16, 1975
Jason is attending Klineberg Conservatory while playing with the Haystack Gang & the Sunrise Gospeleers. He is not doing too well and decides to slow down. John-Boy takes a new job in Boatwright's library.
8.29 #18 - The Lumberjack
Season 9 - Episode 20 - Aired May 21, 1981
A member of a influential family named Paul Matthews Northridge brings mystery & romance to Erin.
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#19 - The Car
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired Mar 14, 1974
When John-Boy starts college and needs a car to travel to and from college, he makes a deal with Hyder Rudge. John-Boy works at the Rudge home for the car. Hyder hides the auto and refuses to sell to John-Boy because the car belonged to Hyder's dead son.
8.28 #20 - The Captive
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired Nov 9, 1978
Jim-Bob tries to teach Elizabeth to drive. Corabeth 's drinking problem becomes severe and Elizabeth has to drive Aimee and Corabeth home.
8.27 #21 - The Medal
Season 8 - Episode 23 - Aired Feb 28, 1980
Mary Ellen receives a medal that was awarded to Curtis after he died. A former friend of Corabeth visits; he and Corabeth begin to see each other. Ike is concerned.
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#22 - The Bequest
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired Nov 29, 1973
Grandma finds out she has inherited $250 and decides to share her wealth. Mary Ellen experiments with being a blond and uses Jim-Bob as a test case.
8.26 
#23 - The Roots
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired Oct 11, 1973
Harley Foster and his son Jodie are introduced to the series. Harley roams the countryside doing odd jobs. Jodie has had no formal education. Verdie Grant takes a strong liking to Harley and eventually persuades him to stay on Walton's Mountain.
8.26 #24 - The Job
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 21, 1974
John-Boy gets a job reading to a young blind woman. The woman is hostile towards him and the world in general. She goes to Walton's Mountain and realizes she has much more for which to be thankful.
8.25 #25 - The Abdication
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 20, 1975
John-Boy renews his friendship with A.J. Covington who is working with a movie company. The Walton family intently follows the abdication of King Edward while following the activities of a movie company fliming on Walton's Mountain.
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