Airdate: 1/3/80
Ted Lupinsky,
one of Jason’s recruits at Camp Rockfish, sees that it’s unlikely he could
become drill sergeant because of ant-Semitism, despite Jason’s promise to
nominate him. Crestfallen, he accepts Jason’s offer to stay with the Waltons
for a weekend, and there teaches everyone all things Jewish. The news of his
grandfather’s death still troubles him, and when Zeb’s death is mentioned in
comparison, he breaks down and reveals that his grandfather was a Jew who went
back to Poland and was killed by poison gas at an extermination camp. John
can’t possibly believe such a thing is going on, and when he calls his senator,
he is told there is no proof it’s occurring either. At the end, Lupinsky goes
with the others to the mountain to pay respects for Zeb, where he recites the
Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead.
First Waltons episode
of the 80s is also the first to deal with the Holocaust, as it would later be
termed. This is also the best episode of the season thus far, as it balances
cross-cultural comedy (courtesy Tod Susman as Lupinksky) with a gravity that
never gets depressing, but is nonetheless potent. Lots f dramatic irony here,
as John, representing the American status quo, doesn’t see or believe that the
Holocaust is actually occurring, but Hamner’s narration tells us otherwise.
Best scene: Lupinsky describes to Ike and Corabeth what’s in
a Jewish deli.
Subplot pales in comparison: Elizabeth gets all As in
school, but it cramps her social style. Poor baby!
Some salty lines in this one; examples:
Jeffrey: “Teachers pet! Teachers pet! Gonna get your panties
wet!”
Lupinsky: (Answering in the affirmative) “Does a bear sleep
in the woods?” (winking).
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