Waltons 5.15: “The Elopement”

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.