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The Worst Episodes of The Waltons

Every episode of The Waltons ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Waltons!

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The Waltons live their life in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Waltons Season 9 Episode 10 - The Tempest
    5.2/10(166 votes)

    #1 - The Tempest

    S9:E10

    Mary Ellen finds out that Curt is still alive. He is living in Florida but is quite the different person from the man she remembers. J.D. asks Erin to come back to work by begging Erin.

    Director:Gabrielle Beaumont
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Waltons Season 7 Episode 5 - The Changeling
    5.6/10(224 votes)

    #2 - The Changeling

    S7:E5

    Just before Elizabeth's 13th birthday, she becomes reluctant to grow up and creates a poltergeist. Jason starts a new job as a radio talk show host giving advice to the lovelorn.

    Director:Lawrence Dobkin
    Writer:Robert Pirosh

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  3. The Waltons Season 7 Episode 6 - The Portrait
    5.9/10(141 votes)

    #3 - The Portrait

    S7:E6

    Erin is both attracted and repelled by a brooding artist who is here from Paris. As part of a war-time mural on the wall of an old house the artist asks to paint Erin's portrait.

    Director:Ralph Senensky
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 6 - The Pursuit
    6.4/10(151 votes)

    #4 - The Pursuit

    S9:E6

    Jim-Bob's ex-girlfriend comes to Walton's Mountain saying that Jim-Bon is the father of her baby. In the Pacific, Ben is still a POW.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 3 - The Diploma
    6.6/10(134 votes)

    #5 - The Diploma

    S8:E3

    Mary Ellen subs as the county nurse. John tries to prove to the army that he really did graduate from high school. John can not find his diploma so he takes another test.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 5 - The Starlet
    6.6/10(118 votes)

    #6 - The Starlet

    S8:E5

    The film company comes to Walton's Mountain and Pickett plant is used for a war-time documentary. Erin is convinced by the director that she has potential in Hollywood.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 20 - The Lumberjack
    6.6/10(122 votes)

    #7 - The Lumberjack

    S9:E20

    A member of a influential family named Paul Matthews Northridge brings mystery & romance to Erin.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 6 - The Journal
    6.7/10(118 votes)

    #8 - The Journal

    S8:E6

    A publisher asks permission from John and Olivia about printing the new book that John-Boy wrote in Europe. Jeff does not want Reckless put to sleep after Reckless becomes sick.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 16 - The Victims
    6.7/10(126 votes)

    #9 - The Victims

    S9:E16

    The Waltons help a woman who's husband beats her when he is drunk. Jim-Bob decides he will make a fortune by investing in war surplus.

    Director:Lawrence Dobkin
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 18 - The Indiscretion
    6.7/10(130 votes)

    #10 - The Indiscretion

    S9:E18

    Corabeth finds Ike's old love letters and files for a divorce. Drew wants to spend a romantic night with Elizabeth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Waltons Season 6 Episode 5 - The Seashore
    6.8/10(161 votes)

    #11 - The Seashore

    S6:E5

    The Waltons have an encounter with a strange English girl while on a small vacation at the Baldwin sister's beach cottage. Ben stays home alone expecting to live the life of a carefree bachelor.

    Director:Lawrence Dobkin
    Writer:Marion Hargrove

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  12. The Waltons Season 6 Episode 12 - The Children's Carol
    6.8/10(144 votes)

    #12 - The Children's Carol

    S6:E12

    Two British children escape the London Blitz to find safety in Walton's Mountain with the Baldwins and the Waltons for Christmas. Meanwhile, Jason contemplates whether he can fight in the impending war, and Olivia has a faith crisis as she can't understand how God could allow war.

    Director:Philip Leacock
    Writer:Kathleen Hite

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  13. The Waltons Season 7 Episode 16 - The Burden
    6.8/10(127 votes)

    #13 - The Burden

    S7:E16

    After a car jack slips and falls and Jim-Bob escapes serious injury, Jim-Bob decides to become a minister.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 14 - The Unthinkable
    6.8/10(113 votes)

    #14 - The Unthinkable

    S8:E14

    There's a recruit working for Jason's company who is Jewish. He tells how his grandfather was arrested and killed by German soldiers in Warsaw.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 3 - The Pledge
    6.8/10(126 votes)

    #15 - The Pledge

    S9:E3

    Mary Ellen feels inadequate as a nurse to help Mountain folk. Against the Dean's advice, Mary Ellen applies for medical school.

    Director:Lawrence Dobkin
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 9 - The Whirlwind
    6.8/10(136 votes)

    #16 - The Whirlwind

    S9:E9

    Mary Ellen agrees to marry Jonesey but finds out that Curt might very well be alive. The Dew Drop Inn is reopened by Jason.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 21 - The Hostage
    6.8/10(139 votes)

    #17 - The Hostage

    S9:E21

    A 14 year old girl is promised marriage in mountain tradition. Mary Ellen interferes and the bride-groom kidnaps Elizabeth to get his bride back. Octavia, an eccentric cousin of the Baldwins, is treated to a visit by him.

    Director:Herbert Hirschman
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Waltons Season 5 Episode 15 - The Elopement
    6.9/10(170 votes)

    #18 - The Elopement

    S5:E15

    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:Unknown

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  19. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 7 - The Lost Sheep
    6.9/10(115 votes)

    #19 - The Lost Sheep

    S8:E7

    Ashley Longworth Jr. comes back and asks Erin to be his wife. She has some serious doubts after he says he has lost his faith in God.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 17 - The Remembrance
    6.9/10(117 votes)

    #20 - The Remembrance

    S8:E17

    Zadoc Walton, Zeb's cousin, arrives to keep a 21 year old promise and makes a surprising contribution to Boatwright University.

    Director:Herbert Hirschman
    Writer:Marion Hargrove

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  21. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 5 - The Premonition
    6.9/10(119 votes)

    #21 - The Premonition

    S9:E5

    Cindy has bad dreams about Ben, who becomes a POW. John-Boy falls in love with a french girl in Paris who runs a book shop.

    Director:Bernard McEveety
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The Waltons Season 9 Episode 22 - The Revel
    6.9/10(162 votes)

    #22 - The Revel

    S9:E22

    John-Boy comes back home after he hits upon hard times when he is in New York pursuing his writing career. The Baldwin sisters send out invitations for the lavish ball and the invitations are returned. The Waltons save the day for the Baldwins.

    Director:Harry Harris
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Waltons Season 7 Episode 4 - The Obsession
    7.0/10(135 votes)

    #23 - The Obsession

    S7:E4

    Mary Ellen gets prescription drugs and abuses them in order to study long hours for her Nurse's exam. Cissy Tucker Yancy Tucker's wife has had enough and she puts her foot down.

    Director:Gwen Arner
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 4 - The Innocents
    7.0/10(119 votes)

    #24 - The Innocents

    S8:E4

    Olivia says the mountain needs a day nursery for children of defense plant workers. Corabeth thinks that Ike has a girlfriend when she sees Rose teaching him to dance.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Waltons Season 8 Episode 10 - The Silver Wings
    7.0/10(146 votes)

    #25 - The Silver Wings

    S8:E10

    Jim-Bob meets Betsy, a married woman and falls in love with her while delivering her a package.

    Director:Stan Lathan
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Tempest" is the worst rated episode of "The Waltons". It scored 5.2/10 based on 166 votes. Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont and written by Unknown, it aired on 2/5/1981. This episode scored 0.4 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Changeling".