8.0/10153 votes#1 - The First Edition
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/1976
The first edition of The Blue Ridge Chronicle is published by John-Boy. He publishes a story about Ben and it makes his mother mad.
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: John McGreevey
8.1/10140 votes#2 - The Vigil
Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/1976
Mary Ellen, aspring nurse, makes a diagnosis about Grandma's illness which almost costs Grandma her life.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Kathleen Hite
7.7/10133 votes#3 - The Comeback
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/1976
Jason gets news that his scholarship has been cancelled. Jason begins to hang out at the Dew Drop Inn. He is trying to interest Red Turner, a musician, into making a come back since his son's death.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10147 votes#4 - The Baptism
Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/1976
John refuses to visit the tent meeting or get baptised, even with the presence of a famous evangelist.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.8/10200 votes#5 - The Fire Storm
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 10/21/1976
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
7.4/10141 votes#6 - The Nightwalker
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/1976
A unknown person prowls through the night on Walton's Mountain. Godsey's Hall is open up by Ike Godsey & Jason decides to have a dance for the community
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10154 votes#7 - The Wedding
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/1976
Mary Ellen surprises her parents saying that she and Dr. David Spencer are getting married. At the same time the family makes preparations, Dr. Curt Willard arrives and complicates matters.
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: N/A
8.1/10143 votes#8 - The Cloudburst
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/1976
John-Boy sells his Meadow to a mining company to meet payments on his printing press. Ike and Corabeth follow suit. What everybody doesn't know is that the company plans to strip mine which will ruin the land.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
7.7/10139 votes#9 - The Great Motorcycle Race
Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/1976
Jim-Bob fixes up Ike's old motorcyle & he enters a motorcyle race. The Godsey's want to adopt a baby but instead adopt a young girl named Aimee
Director: Richard Thomas
Writer: N/A
7.8/10136 votes#10 - The Pony Cart
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 12/2/1976
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
8.9/10287 votes#11 - The Best Christmas
Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1976
The 11 members of the Walton family are together for Christmas This would be the last time that all of the Waltons would be together
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: John McGreevey
8.0/10184 votes#12 - The Last Mustang
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 12/16/1976
The Waltons are emersed in a controversial election for sheriff and Grandpa fights to release a wild mustang that he says was caught on Walton property.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.2/10135 votes#13 - The Rebellion
Season 5 Episode 13 - Aired 12/23/1976
Corabeth gives Olivia a permanent that turns out badly. Grandma is up against a new competition for playing the church organ.
Director: N/A
Writer: Kathleen Hite
7.2/10137 votes#14 - The Ferris Wheel
Season 5 Episode 14 - Aired 1/6/1977
Elizabeth has nightmares of an unknown experience of being stuck on the very top of a ferris wheel. Ben starts to seriously worry about his height.
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: N/A
6.8/10145 votes#15 - The Elopement
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 1/13/1977
Erin's 1st love, Chad Marshall, comes back and asks Erin to be his wife. She agrees but John emphatically says no so Erin and Chad run off to elope.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
7.4/10138 votes#16 - John's Crossroad
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 1/20/1977
John goes to Charlottesville and applies for an office job. He finds it impossible to work under the harsh direction of the office manager.
Director: Richard Thomas
Writer: N/A
8.0/10153 votes#17 - The Career Girl
Season 5 Episode 17 - Aired 1/27/1977
Erin's graduation from high school seems to be very painful because Erin has no firm plans for the future or any career.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: Kathleen Hite
8.0/10146 votes#18 - The Hero
Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 2/3/1977
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
8.6/10158 votes#19 - The Inferno
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 2/10/1977
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
8.3/10167 votes#20 - The Heartbreaker
Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 2/17/1977
Jason falls in love with Vanessa, Curt's sister, who left her husband so she could become a singer. John-Boy begins to publish sections of his novel in the newspaper.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/10153 votes#21 - The Long Night
Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 2/24/1977
Grandpa says he going to bring Grandma home from the hosptal. When the Doctors say no, Grandpa causes a scene and is told not to come back. Aimee Godsey asks Zeb to be her Grandpa.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
8.2/10136 votes#22 - The Hiding Place
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 3/3/1977
The Baldwin's niece, Hillary Von Kleist, comes for a visit from Vienna. Jason joins the National Guard over Olivia's objections.
Director: N/A
Writer: John McGreevey
7.6/10151 votes#23 - The Go-Getter
Season 5 Episode 23 - Aired 3/10/1977
A hot headed Ben has a falling out with John and Ben takes a job as a used car salesman . Ben seems a natural until the family questions some of his sales techniques.
Director: Lawrence Dobkin
Writer: N/A
7.9/10126 votes#24 - The Achievement
Season 5 Episode 24 - Aired 3/17/1977
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
The Best Episodes of The Waltons Season 5
Every episode of The Waltons Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Waltons Season 5!
The Waltons live their life in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.
Genre:Drama
Network:CBS
Season 5 Ratings Summary
"The First Edition" is the best rated episode of "The Waltons" season 5. It scored 8/10 based on 153 votes. Directed by Lawrence Dobkin and written by John McGreevey, it aired on 9/23/1976. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "The Vigil".