The WORST episodes of The Waltons

Every episode of The Waltons ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst 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.

Last Updated: 4/24/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended

6.09

11 votes

#1 - The Heartache

Season 9 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/14/1981

Rose cancels her wedding to Stanley because she hides a heart condition. Cindy realizes that she would rather stay home than work in the shop.

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6.14

14 votes

#2 - The Prodigals

Season 8 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/17/1980

Josh and Jeffrey break into Godsey's store and are in trouble with the law. After being humiliated by a solider in uniform, Ben decides to enlist.

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6.15

13 votes

#3 - The Hostage

Season 9 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/28/1981

A 14 year old girl is promised marriage in mountain tradition. Mary Ellen interferes and the bride-groom kidnaps Elizabeth to get his bride back. Octavia, an eccentric cousin of the Baldwins, is treated to a visit by him.

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6.22

18 votes

#4 - The Pledge

Season 9 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/4/1980

Mary Ellen feels inadequate as a nurse to help Mountain folk. Against the Dean's advice, Mary Ellen applies for medical school.

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6.62

16 votes

#5 - The Journal

Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/25/1979

A publisher asks permission from John and Olivia about printing the new book that John-Boy wrote in Europe. Jeff does not want Reckless put to sleep after Reckless becomes sick.

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6.67

15 votes

#6 - The Last Ten Days

Season 9 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/8/1981

Ben is taken on an unexpected trip by his captor who turns Ben in to the American forces. Toni is seriously courted by Jason.

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6.67

15 votes

#7 - The Violated

Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/1979

Olivia searches for a soldier's wife at the request from the Red Cross. The soldier's wife won't answer her husband's letters. Corabeth expects an inheritance.

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6.71

17 votes

#8 - The Pursuit

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/1/1981

Jim-Bob's ex-girlfriend comes to Walton's Mountain saying that Jim-Bon is the father of her baby. In the Pacific, Ben is still a POW.

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6.79

14 votes

#9 - The Outrage (2)

Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/27/1980

Cont for part 1

Directors: Philip Leacock

Writer: Claire Whitaker, Rod Peterson

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6.87

15 votes

#10 - The Move

Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/15/1981

Ben comes home from the war and tells John he wants to study engineering. The long awaited vacation that Erin plans to go on is interrupted. John tells the his family he has to take Olivia to Arizona to the sanitarium.

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6.88

17 votes

#11 - The Furlough

Season 8 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/21/1980

John-Boy returns home physically cured but he still suffers from a loss of memory. Ike gets arrested for draft evasion because he ignores a letter from the Army.

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6.89

18 votes

#12 - The Wager

Season 8 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/13/1979

All of Jefferson County watched with wonder when Mary Ellen and Erin decide to venture even farther into a mans world.

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6.92

13 votes

#13 - The Pin-Up

Season 7 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/8/1979

Ben enters a casual picture of Erin in a contest where she wins 1st prize. She finds herself the center of attention and the official pin-up girl of Camp Lee to John's dismay.

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6.93

15 votes

#14 - The Triumph

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/18/1980

With the war drawing to a close, Jason and a young man in his squad deal with the question of killing. Ike and Corabeth face problems with the Ration Board.

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6.93

15 votes

#15 - The Cloudburst

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/1976

John-Boy sells his Meadow to a mining company to meet payments on his printing press. Ike and Corabeth follow suit. What everybody doesn't know is that the company plans to strip mine which will ruin the land.

Directors: Harry Harris

Writer: Paul W. Cooper

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7.00

13 votes

#16 - The Pearls

Season 9 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/12/1981

Orma Lee, Corabeth's twin sister, arrives to see Ike when Corabeth is away. Elizabeth goes to Arizona to see Olivia and John because she feels lonely.

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7.00

15 votes

#17 - The Last Straw

Season 8 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/7/1980

When John's equipment breaks down and Jim-Bob breaks his, John decides maybe he has had enough. Jeffrey builds himself a soapbox car sponsored by Godsey's store.

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7.00

14 votes

#18 - The Inspiration

Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/31/1980

Mamie Baldwin makes it through a difficult operation with Grandma's help.

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7.00

17 votes

#19 - The Starlet

Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/18/1979

The film company comes to Walton's Mountain and Pickett plant is used for a war-time documentary. Erin is convinced by the director that she has potential in Hollywood.

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7.09

45 votes

#20 - 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.

Directors: Lawrence Dobkin

Writer: Marion Hargrove

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7.13

15 votes

#21 - John's Crossroad

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/20/1977

John goes to Charlottesville and applies for an office job. He finds it impossible to work under the harsh direction of the office manager.

Directors: Richard Thomas

Writer: Andy White, Paul West

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7.14

14 votes

#22 - The Hot Rod

Season 9 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/19/1981

Jim-Bob and Jody get discharged from the service. They celebrate and they decide to open up a garage. The Baldwin sisters get forced to close their recipe machine until they discover their Grandfather's still in a secret room.

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7.14

14 votes

#23 - The Tempest

Season 9 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/5/1981

Mary Ellen finds out that Curt is still alive. He is living in Florida but is quite the different person from the man she remembers. J.D. asks Erin to come back to work by begging Erin.

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7.14

14 votes

#24 - The Lost Sheep

Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/1/1979

Ashley Longworth Jr. comes back and asks Erin to be his wife. She has some serious doubts after he says he has lost his faith in God.

Directors: Walter Alzmann

Writer: Earl Hamner Jr., Ernie Wallengren

Watch Now:Apple TV

7.17

12 votes

#25 - The Victims

Season 9 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/19/1981

The Waltons help a woman who's husband beats her when he is drunk. Jim-Bob decides he will make a fortune by investing in war surplus.

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