Waltons 5.20: “The Heartbreaker”

Airdate: 2/17/77

Jason falls head over heels in love with Curt’s sister, Vanessa, a recently divorced woman, but their affair causes a scandal among the conservative folk of Waltons Mountain. Singing together one night at the Dew Dew Drop in, she is spotted by a country music singer and his manager, and is offered a job out in Nashville, which she accepts. Heartbroken, Jason is consoled by his dad, who tells him that she is a free spirit, just like the ducks Jason wanted to tame when he was a boy. Subplot: Zeb is outraged by his depiction in John-Boy’s novel, until the boy explains some of his word choices.

If Jason is going to risk his neck to dally around with, in some people’s eyes, a married woman, she’d better be worth it – and boy is she ever! Guest actress Linda Purl is a knockout here, even better than her previous appearance in the 3^rd season’s “The Spoilers.” Ending is inevitable, but again, an experience we can relate to all too easily.