Waltons 3.15: “The Lie”

Airdate: 1/2/75

Ben’s in a real pickle. It all starts when he steals John-Boy’s car in the middle of the night to drive his friend Nancy to Charlottesville so she can see her mother before she leaves town. Because Nancy’s mother had left abruptly when Nancy was young, her father never forgave her, and forbade the two from seeing each other. For this reason, Ben swears his actions to secrecy, but when John-Boy’s car is briefly stolen and involved in a hit-and-run while in Charlottesville, Ben must decide whether to break his promise, and have Nancy as a witness, or stay mum and risk facing serious charges.

Above-par show is identifiable to anyone who’s ever A) owned a car, B) been in love and/or C) had a sibling mess around with your stuff. John-Boy as detective is the best part, and Ben crisis of conscience is intriguing as well.

Car collectors may cringe upon the sight of a vintage Ford Model A getting dented up.