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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Waltons 1.14: The Minstel

Airdate: 12/21/72

A Woody Guthrie-esque travelling minstrel named Jamie wanders by and immediately enchants an increasingly restless Mary Ellen, who is starting to shun the family ways and develop her own free-spirited identity. When she decides to run away with him, he calls her a kid and crushes her spirits. It takes John Boy telling her how to balance family loyalty with individuality, as well as a trip to Washington DC (thanks to the family’s apple-picking earnings), to cure her wanderlust, at least for the time being.

The first episode dealing exclusively with Mary Ellen feels like it could’ve been written by Judy Blume. She’s got the growing pains – bad – and though the angst of a teenage girl is nothing new, it does imbue this particular episode with a contemporary feel.

I’ve always been of the opinion that period pieces reflect not only the time period of their setting but also the day and age in which they’re made. Made in 1972, this show clearly reflects the “tune in and drop out” mantra of the counterculture movement, and Mary Ellen’s clash with her parents is in keeping with the Baby Boomer generation gap that fuelled the movement. There’s even plenty of folk music in this episode!

Speaking of music, listen closely to some of the soundtrack variations on the theme song, particularly during the first apple-picking scene. Love the old-time orchestral scores on TV dramas!

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