The BEST episodes of The Waltons season 1
Every episode of The Waltons season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Waltons season 1!
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 Literary Man
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/30/1972
John-Boy's truck breaks down and he meets the author, A.J. Covington. John-Boy jeopardizes a timber contract badly needed by the family.
#2 - 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.
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#3 - The Ceremony
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/9/1972
A Jewish family, escaping refugees from Nazi Germany, come to Waltons 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.
#4 - The Bicycle
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/1/1973
Local blacksmith, Curtis Norton has John-Boy write letters to his bride-to-be. When she arrives on Walton's Mountain, life and Curtis are much different than she expected. Meanwhile, Olivia is feeling new pangs for freedom and something "different" in her life.
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#5 - The Reunion
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/14/1972
The Baldwin sisters and The Recipe play a pivotal role in this story involving their unscrupulous scheming cousin, Homer Lee Baldwin.
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#6 - The Calf
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/28/1972
The family cow, Chance, gives birth to a healthy calf but John announces that it must be sold to make ends meet. Elizabeth and Jim-Bob hide the calf to save it. John relents and the family keeps the calf.
#7 - The Foundling
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/14/1972
When a young girl is left on the doorstep of the Walton's home, they take her in. After taking her to the doctor, they learn she is deaf. One night while the Walton family listen to the radio John boy takes matters into his own hands when Holly (the deaf girl) runs up to her room crying. He teaches her sign language! This new skill comes in handy when the youngest of the Walton family gets locked by accident in a box in a haunted house, which later turns out to be the house where Holly lives.
#8 - The Minstrel
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/21/1972
Mary Ellen meets a traveling troubadour, Jamie, and neglects her responsibilities of helping pick fruit.
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#9 - The Actress
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/4/1973
When her car breaks down, the famous extravagant actress, Alvira Drummond, finds herself stranded on Waltons Mountain. The children, especially Mary Ellen, are fascinated by her "Hollywood" ways.
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#10 - The Love Story
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/18/1973
John Boy falls in love with Jenny Pendleton who returns to Walton's Mountain. Jenny's father and new stepmother follow her to the mountain. Her father is killed in an auto accident and Jenny returns home with her stepmother. John-Boy suffers his first lost love.
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#11 - The Carnival
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/21/1972
A carnival troupe comes to Walton's Mountain. When the manager absconds with the money, four members are stranded at the Walton house. They thank the Waltons with a private performance.
#12 - The Boy from the C.C.C.
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/2/1972
Gino, a boy from the slums of New York City, runs away from a CCC Camp and learns about trust and love from the Waltons.
#13 - The Sinner
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/26/1972
The Reverend Matthew Fordwick comes to Walton's Mountain and upsets the family with his strict and forceful preaching. He innocently samples The Recipe, and John helps him to be accepted within the community.
#14 - The Courtship
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/25/1973
Olivia's uncle Cody Nelson comes to visit with the Waltons and finds love with a woman who has been divorced four times.
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#15 - The Deed
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/8/1973
It seems that the Waltons never officially registered the deed to Waltons Mountain. In order to help pay the legal fees, John-Boy leaves home for a job in the city. He meets new friends, gets mugged and earns a reward to help the family keep their home.
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#16 - The Typewriter
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/12/1972
John Boy borrows an antique typewriter from the Baldwin sisters so he can send a story to a magazine. Mary Ellen mistakenly sells it to a junk man, but through diligence, gets it back for her brother.
#17 - The Fire
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/11/1973
A young girl's father objects to Miss Hunter's teaching Evolution. During a drunken rage he burns down the school and is killed in the fire.
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#18 - The Townie
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/8/1973
John-Boy's friend Sarah sees him as a way to escape her "trapped" life with her demanding mother. When John-Boy rejects her advances, she runs off and plans to elope with a townie.
#19 - The Star
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/19/1972
When a meteorite falls on the Baldwin's house, Zeb believes his time has come. The Baldwin sisters are cheated by their cousin until Zeb and John come to the rescue.
#20 - The Dust Bowl Cousins
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/7/1972
The Walton's distant cousins arrive on the mountain and immediately upset everyone's life by their shiftless dishonest ways.
#21 - The Gypsies
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/1/1973
A gypsy family is stranded, but the leader refuses to accept help from the Waltons. His pride almost costs the life of his baby son.
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#22 - The Scholar
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/22/1973
A neighbor lady, Verdie Grant, asks John-Boy to teach her to read and write. He agrees to teach her as he helps Elizabeth. Things go wrong, however, and feelings get hurt.
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#23 - The Legend
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/16/1972
John's old army buddy, Tip Harrison, tries to cover his lack of success with childish actions and comments culminating in an accidental fire and the shooting of Reckless, the family dog.
#24 - The Hunt
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/5/1972
John Boy prepares to go on his first hunt and is distressed over taking an animal's life. During the hunt he saves John's life from an attacking bear. Meanwhile Mary Ellen debates over a new dress or a baseball mitt.