Aunt Martha Corinnie Walton's home is in danger by the right-of-way for The Blue Ridge Parkway. All of the Walton clan comes to her aid and try and stop the contractor. During a skirmish with the contractor and deputies, John-Boy gets shot.

Jason learns one of life's hardest lessons: the death of a close friend. Seth Turner learns he has only one year to live because he has a fatal disease.

Jim-Bob thinks he was adopted. He searchs his birth records and finds out he's a twin. Jim-Bob's twin brother died at birth.

The Walton's house is nearly destroyed by fire and the children must live temporarily with friends. John-Boy has a difficult time to begin the task of rewriting his lost novel.

John-Boy gets ready to graduate from high school in a new suit. When the cow dies John-Boy returns the suit and gets his money back and uses the money to buy another cow. John-Boy graduates in Grandpa's old suit.

Father and son struggle with personal crisis: John approaches his 25-year high school reunion regretting he is not a greater success; and John-Boy fears he will never be able to make a living as a writer.

John-Boy sure trys to raise the down payment for an old printing press to publish his own newspaper

Ben learns the hazards of smoking. John-Boy sticks up for a fellow student who violates Boatwright's honor code during a history exam. There were extenuating circumstances

John wants to expand the mill and call it Walton and Sons,Jason wants to study music and he tries for a scholarship

John-Boy anticipates a visit from his girlfriend and is pending a college scholarship exam. He has an accident in the sawmill and his vision is blurred. He is unable to finish his test and eventually must undergo surgery.

An investor talks John into selling the mountain as a tour center. John thinks it over but realizes what the home means to the rest of his family and turns the ofter down.

When John-Boy starts college and needs a car to travel to and from college, he makes a deal with Hyder Rudge. John-Boy works at the Rudge home for the car. Hyder hides the auto and refuses to sell to John-Boy because the car belong to Hyder's dead son.

Reverend Fordwick asks John-Boy to deliver the Sunday sermon, and Miss Hunter asks Olivia to act as the substitute teacher. It proves to be an interesting experience for both as Reverend Fordwick and Miss Hunter plan their wedding and honeymoon

John-Boy's Dean asks him to take care of a 16 year old genius college student for the weekend. It seems that Lyle is wonderful with science and math, but woefully lacking when it comes to dealing with people.

The family struggles with financial crisis and the electricity is turned off. Grandpa sets out to raise some money but tells no one about his plans. Grandma becomes angry and Grandpa moves out. The bill is paid and the angry grandparents make-up at a barn dance.

A wealthy widow, Mrs Clayborne, accuses John Walton of stealing antiques while working in her mansion. John needed new tires and he hocks his wedding ring to buy them. He refuses to tell anyone where the money came from. The mystery is finally solved when the Clayborne son admits to selling the goblets to raise money for his family.

Grandma finds out she has inherited $250 and decides to share her wealth. Mary Ellen experiments with being a blond and uses Jim-Bob as a test case.

The Waltons bring home an 8 year boy named Stevie who is an orphan so he can experience a family setting. Stevie meets Curtis Norton a blacksmith and an immediate bond occurs. Curtis and his wife take in the boy.

Now that John-Boy is at College, Jim Bob feels small and alone. He brings home a guinea pig, a mascot at school. During the night the little creature dies but the rest of the family are too busy with their own activities to spend time with him. Sad and alone after burying it in the woods, Jim Bob runs away.

John-Boy finds out that a collection of his short stories will be published and Jason secures a job with Bobby Bigelow and the haystack gang

John decides to expand his business by building a new mill. To meet a deadline for a big order, John works day and night & gets pneumonia. While he's in the hostipal his friends finish the mill, but he loses the big contract.

As Mary Ellen nervously awaites word on her acceptance to nursing school, the rest of the Waltons prepares surprise good-bye gifts. Mary Ellen is accepted, but she needs more work in math and science and ends up studying with John-Boy and Miss Nora Taylor, the county nurse.

Olivia and the two youngest children, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth, go up on Walton's Mountain and become lost. They experience many challenges. Jim-Bob saves the day using woodsman skills taught to him by Grandpa.

Maggie McKenzie would like to see the ocean once more. John-Boy takes her but must miss an important dance. Grandpa helps the children save an injured bird. Earl Hamner makes his only appearance in the series as Maggie's husband. The director of this episode, Harry Harris, who would eventually direct almost 50 episodes, was nominated for an Emmy award.

An inexperienced but brilliant young sub teacher wreaks havoc in the Walton's Mountain School. Because of her insecurity, she refuses advice from anyone until Olivia steps in.