Waltons 3.6: “The Ring”

Airdate: 10/17/74

No, no the 2002 horror movie. Mary Ellen goes to her first college dance, at Boatwright University, double-dating with John-Boy. She just has to have an evening bag, so she picks one up second hand, only to find a beautiful amethyst ring inside, which she decides to keep. When the ring’s owner, Mrs. Breckenridge, comes to the Waltons to inquire about the ring’s whereabouts, Mary Ellen decides to return it after the dance. You guessed it: she loses it, and must break into the college the next day to find it and return it. Good subplot involving John-Boy’s date, a girl he thinks is exploiting her, until she risks her sororital standing to help him by breaking into the campus to retrieve the ring.

So-so installment again depicting Mary-Ellen’s struggle with womanhood. Beautiful Katheen Cody, as John-Boy’s date, is another émigré from Dark Shadows (and a few other soaps), later made many guest starring appearanes on 70s and 80s dramas before retiring in 1988. Cindy Eilbacher (Lisa’s sister) as the snitch Martha Rose is emerging as the Nellie Oleson of the show!

Waltons 3.5: “The Romance”

Airdate: 10/10/74

Olivia signs up to take art classes at night in Charlottesville, to the delight of John-Boy, the lukewarm approval of her husband, and admonishing scorn of Grandma. Her instructor, a free-spirit by the name of Joshua Williams encourages her to unlock her passion, not simply for art but for life itself, urging her to give up her humdrum life as a housewife and consider going off with him to other world. As expected, he becomes attracted to her, but when he kisses her, she recoils and drops the class. He later visits her at home and clears up all tension between them; she resumes her lessons.

Meanwhile, Mary-Ellen, continuing her interest in medicine, is at loggerheads with her beau, Don Millman, who wants to be a doctor but thinks she should only be a nurse.

Episode explores the recurrent topic of nascent feminism in the 30s, with Olivia’s proto-liberation also a focal point for about the third time. They’re also building up Mary Ellen’s interest in medicine, in keeping with the writers giving each child some kind of identity fixture. GS David Selby made a career out of daytime and nighttime soaps; my two favorite roles of his are Quentin Collins on Dark Shadows and Michael Tyrone on Flamingo Road, a show that is woefully out of print anywhere!!

Waltons 3.4: “The Runaway”

Airdate: 10/3/74

When Jim-Bob’s pet guinea pig dies, with no one in the Waltons’ household seeming to care, he runs away from home, hitching a ride to the nearest town, Westham. Once the family finds out, they dispatch John-Boy to search for him, causing him to miss a lecture by one of his favorite writers, Bennett Holmby. Once John-Boy finds his younger brother, he explains the circumstances and apologizes for his insensitivity, prompting an eavesdropping stranger to extol the virtues of traveling but lamenting not having a family like the Waltons to come home to. The stranger? None other than Mr. Holmby himself.

Guest stars: Lots of rising sitcom stars here. Elizabeth Kerr, in one scene as the college secretary, would later star as Mindy’s grandma in the first and third seasons of Mork & Mindy. Geoffrey Lewis, playing Elwood Dobbs, the man who gives Jim-Bob a ride, is a prolific film/TV actor whose trademarks are rugged looks and a perpetually sour face. TONS of acting work under his belt, but I remember him best as Earl on the short-lived Alice spin-off, Flo. Ann Noland plays John-Boy’s would-be date to the lecture; she had a brief career in 70s exploitation flicks.

This is the first episode to spotlight Jim-Bob, proving that if you wait long enough, you’ll get your time. Running away from home is of course another tried ad true TV trope, but in this perilous day and age, it seems a lot less innocent – when Dobbs picks Jim-Bob up, we can’t help thinking how the same story now would be decidedly creepier.

Waltons 3.3: “The Thoroughbred”

Airdate: 9/26/74

John-Boy meets a high-class gal at college, Selina Linvile, and vies for her attention against Carl Jensen, also a blueblood but not as interesting to her as John-Boy. When the annual cross-country horse race arrives, John-Boy thinks that riding Old Blue in the competition could give him a leg up against Carl, but Old Blue is a mule and Carl’s horse is a thoroughbred. John-Boy’s spirit is undaunted, but John Sr. is disturbed by his son using the race to improve his social standing. Seeing the light, John-Boy races purely for the sport, and ends up winning – amicably.

Solid episode continuing the double-setting of the homestead and Boatwright University, John-Boy’s college. Insecurity with social class, a continuing motif, is coupled with an engaging love triangle, the result being a flavorful tale that also balances both settings well. With the new locale, more period costumes are used, with Selina’s 30’s dresses in fine vintage festoonery!

Selina Linville (Kathleen Quinlan) and her grandfather, Col. Linvile (Frank Janson) both return in season four episode “The Collision.” Quinlan is familiar to modern audiences for many movies, starting with American Graffiti in 1973 and continuing all the wuy up to the present day in Glee. She got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Apollo 13, but I will always remember her as the teacher who gets more than she bargained for in Joe Dante’s segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).

"It's not fair! You're supposed to be happy when your wishes come true!"

 

Waltons 3.2: “The First Day”

Airdate: 9/19/74

  

John-Boy’s first day at Boatwright College has finally arrived! With his new car and suit, he struts up to the hallowed gates of the university… where all hell breaks loose. Among other things, he misplaces his admissions certificate, gets his car towed away, is made the butt of pranks and ridicule by the upperclassmen, and consequently ruffles the feathers of the chairman of the English department. About the only good to come from it is his chance encounter with pretty fellow freshman, Polly, who seems to have the same kind of day John-Boy is suffering through.

Back at home, Jason tries a bit too hard to fill John-Boy’s shoes, until Miss Hunter counsels him to be his own man.

A classic Murphy’s Law episode, resonant for anyone who’s had a first day of anything. As this is college, it’s also a sharply written episode, thanks to frequent Walton’s scribe John McGreevey. I also liked it because it’s not only John-Boy’s first voyage outside the Walton’s fishbowl, it’s ours, and we don’t really see him as “country” until his fellow collegians call attention to it.

Terrific guest star performance by Devon Ericson as Polly, an overly dramatic but disarming coed who offers the only spot of relief on John-Boy’s day from hell. Ericson is another extremely prolific film/TV actress whose very first role was on this show.

Celebrity look-alike: Professor Ghote is a dead ringer for Sean Connery.