The Best Episodes of The Waltons
Every episode of The Waltons ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Waltons!
The Waltons live their life in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.
Top Episode Ratings Summary
The best episode of "The Waltons" is "The Ordeal (2)", rated 9/10 from 213 user votes. It was directed by Lawrence Dobkin and written by N/A. "The Ordeal (2)" aired on 2/16/1978 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Pony Cart".
9.0/10 213 votes#1 - The Ordeal (2)
Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 1978-02-16
Elizabeth walks again
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: N/A
8.9/10 277 votes#2 - The Pony Cart
Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 1976-12-02
Auntie Martha Corrine Walton comes to Walton's Mountain to visit and soon interupts everybody's life. She and Ben make an old fashioned pony cart and she comes to the realization that she is about to die.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: N/A
8.8/10 190 votes#3 - The Fire Storm
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 1976-10-21
John-Boy tries to keep the community updated about the news in Europe sohe decides to print excerpts about Hitler's Mein Kampf in his paper. A great outcry ensues and the town is torn apart over the issue of publishing unfavorable items in the Blue Ridge Chronicle.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: N/A
8.7/10 235 votes#4 - The Conflict
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 1974-09-12
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.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: N/A
8.6/10 147 votes#5 - The Hero
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 1977-02-03
John-Boy acts on a suggestion of Grandma's and oranizes a memorial to the Jefferson County Doughboys of WWI. Sheriff Ed Bridges , the decorated hero, shows little interest.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.6/10 154 votes#6 - The Grandchild (2)
Season 6 Episode 8 - Aired 1977-11-03
The Waltons are happy to have John Curtis back with the family
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: N/A
8.5/10 227 votes#7 - An Easter Story
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 1973-04-19
The entire family suffers a crisis when Olivia is stricken with polio. Dr Vance prescribes the accepted treatment, but Olivia does not get better. John-Boy learns of a new treatment practiced by sister Kenny and the family tries it to success in time for the Easter service.
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: N/A
8.5/10 152 votes#8 - The Secret
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 1976-01-08
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/10 178 votes#9 - The Burn Out (1)
Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 1976-01-22
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.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.5/10 137 votes#10 - The House
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 1976-02-19
Esther wants to save an old house from being torn down. Grandpa wants the contract to destroy it for the old wood. They both argue until Zeb realizes that house holds sentimental memories for grandma.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/10 177 votes#11 - The Achievement
Season 5 Episode 25 - Aired 1977-03-17
John-Boy goes to New York City after waiting weeks without word on his novel. It pays off and John-Boy talks to an editor who agrees to publish his novel. John-Boy comes back home and tells them the good news. He also tells the family he is moving to New York City.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Earl Hamner, Jr., Dale Eunson
8.5/10 183 votes#12 - The Empty Nest (1)
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 1978-09-21
Everybody mourns the death of Grandpa Zeb and Flossie Brimmer. John struggles hard to fill a huge lumber contract and Mary Ellen & Erin move to Charlottesville and they get an apartment.
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: N/A
8.4/10 177 votes#13 - The Gift
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 1974-01-24
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.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: N/A
8.4/10 144 votes#14 - The Graduation
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 1974-02-21
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.
Director: Alf Kjellin
Writer: N/A
8.4/10 136 votes#15 - The Shivaree
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 1975-01-30
Wedding plans for the daughter of a friend go awry when the mountain custom of kidnapping the groom get out of hand
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: N/A
8.4/10 165 votes#16 - The Prophecy
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 1975-10-02
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.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Marion Hargrove
8.3/10 142 votes#17 - The Ring
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 1974-10-17
Mary Ellen buys a purse. At home she finds there's a pretty amethyst ring inside which she decides to wear at the dance, but she and Erin keep the finding of the ring a secret.
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: N/A
8.3/10 159 votes#18 - The Inferno
Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 1977-02-10
John-Boy goes to Lakehurst New Jersey to travel to cover the landing of Hindenburg and is deeply affected by its crash. Curt tries to figure out how to have more private time with Mary Ellen.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.3/10 141 votes#19 - The Beau
Season 7 Episode 10 - Aired 1978-11-23
Grandma's ex-boyfriend comes calling on Grandma much to the horror of Elizabeth. Jim-Bob persuades Yancy Tucker to make fuel in his still instead of moonshine.
Director: Gwen Arner
Writer: N/A
8.2/10 220 votes#20 - The Literary Man
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1972-11-30
John-Boy's truck breaks down and he meets the author, A.J. Covington. John-Boy jeopardizes a timber contract badly needed by the family.
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: N/A
8.2/10 169 votes#21 - The Deed
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 1973-02-08
It seems that the Waltons never officially registered the deed to Waltons Mountain. In order to help pay the legal fees, John-Boy leaves home for a job in the city. He meets new friends, gets mugged and earns a reward to help the family keep their home.
Director: Vincent Sherman
Writer: N/A
8.2/10 174 votes#22 - The Theft
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 1973-10-04
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.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.2/10 216 votes#23 - The Fawn
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 1973-11-08
John-Boy secures a position of rent collector for a hated landlord while Erin, who is disappointed by her knight in shining armor, nurses an orphaned fawn back to health.
Director: N/A
Writer: John McGreevey
8.2/10 160 votes#24 - The Bequest
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1973-11-29
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.
Director: Alf Kjellin
Writer: N/A
8.2/10 153 votes#25 - The Heritage
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 1974-01-17
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.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Dale Eunson