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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Waltons 8.5: “The Innocents”


Airdate: 10/11/79

Platt’s Plant is hiring more women than ever, but that leaves a lot of kids unattended. Olivia hits upon an idea: turn the Waltons homestead into a day care center! The place starts teeming with young-uns, but after one wanders into the sawmill, both John and Olivia realize new locale is needed. Unfortunately, Pickett himself says he has no room, or does he? His plans to build a new taverns seems to refute this, ad when Olivia calls him out on it, he stubbornly tells her he has the legal right to do with his space what he wants. Realizing it will “take an army” to change Pickett’s mind, she amasses all factory workers and children to storm the new tavern – Pickett relents, and allows the bar to be used for child care during the day…

…Meanwhile, Ike and Coarabeth’s anniversary is approaching, but she admonishes his lack of romance. He wants to surprise her, so he takes tango lessons from rose, but a perfume-scented handkerchief arouses her jealousy, and she’s furious – until he discovers his surprise.

Another lightweight offering wants to pile more cute children onto a show that’s starting to lose its dramatic impact. Plot developments are as predictable as they are contrived (choice to end he day care at the Waltons house because of access to mill machinery could be easily rectified by putting a lock on the mill door), and Pickett as the heavy is getting increasingly cartoony.

The embroidered handkerchief discovered by Corabeth is a possible reference to Othello, in which a handkerchief inflamed Othello’s jealousy. In both cases: no actual affair, but here, Corabeth does not murder Ike.

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