Waltons 2.24: The Car

Airdate: 3/14/74

John-Boy needs a car to get to and from college, and so he tracks down a reclusive couple and offers to fix up their house in exchange for a Ford they keep locked up in a shed in near-mint, rarely used condition. After starting work, John-Boy discovers that the husband, Hyder Rudge, is a bitter, short-tempered man who seems to have little interest in selling his automobile, while the wife seems to hint at skeletons in their closet. Finally, with the work finished, John-Boy curiously tries out the car when Hyder throws him out of it and refuses to give it up. Only when Mrs. Rudge visits the Waltons and reveals her secret, that she and Hyder once had a son who died in a Marine shipwreck, and that the car belonged to him, does John-Boy understand the gravity of the situation. He confronts Hyder, who finally opens up about his loss and willingly gives up the car. John-Boy finally comes home with the fruits of his labor, and makes good on his promise to take Grandma for a spin, letting her ride in the rumbleseat.

Season two closes with this impressive drama about an oft-covered topic on the show: buried family secrets. The episode does a nice job unraveling the Rudges’ dark history (despite Ed Lauter’s occasional overacting as Hyder), and it’s all well complemented by John-Boy’s more upbeat pursuit of the car he’d been dreaming about for years.

Bonnie Bartlett plays Mrs. Rudge, and she’s most familiar to anyone as Mr. Edwards’ wife on Little House on the Prairie (amazing how many future Little House stars began here). Interestingly, Victor French, who played Mr. Edwards, guest-starred on The Waltons four episodes back on “The Fulfillment.”

Off to season three!