Waltons 3.12: “The Departure”

Airdate: 12/5/74

John is having a mid-life crisis, feeling “put out to pasture” when a group of girls flirts with John-Boy and not with him. For this reason, and to make extra money, he takes a job as a machinist in Norfolk, some 30 miles away. Enraged at first, then lonely once he leaves, Olivia comes to recognize the reasons for his departure. John-Boy, failing one of his college courses, misses his father’s sage advice, but ultimately manages to handle things himself.

Many episodes heretofore have dealt with Olivia’s lack of fulfillment; now it’s John’s turn. He doesn’t necessarily paint the town red, but dabbles in just enough testosterone-confirming behavior that he gets everything “out of his system” before episode’s end. The closest John comes to the inevitable carnal temptation scene is when Mrs. Champion, the owner of the boarding house, propositions him with the query, “Are you just married, or are you really married?”

Oh, and then there’s the, also inevitable, barroom brawl scene: a first for The Waltons.