Airdate: 1/13/77
Erin is ecstatic
to reunite with a former heartthrob, a forestry student named Chad Mitchell
(from episode 4.8: “The Competition”). Their passion is rekindled quickly, as
Chad intends to remain on Waltons Mountain permanently, already having bought a
tract of land with which he plans to build a house on. He pops the question,
and she accepts, but John and Olivia object, believing Erin is too young and should
finish school. Frustrated, they elope in the middle of the night, but Erin
backs out at the last minute, disgusted at the “ceremony” conducted by the
local justice of the peace. Other plot: Ike goes out of town to visit
relatives, leaving Jason to watch the store. He instructs the boy to accept
only cash except from friends – when Maude Gormley runs up a hefty tab, Jason
assumes that she is a friend, but Ike orders, “No credit from Maude.” John-Boy
straightens things out: Maude brings in paintings of birds to sell to bay off
her bill.
Michael O’Keefe
returns as Chad, and they seem a good match (better, in my opinion, than Mary
Ellen and Curtis). Hard to believe elopements like this took place, but they
did – particularly with the convention of marriage so strong. According to Hamner’s
epilogue, Chad stayed on the land and finished up his house, leaving a possible
return of the character to future episodes.
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