Episodes you don't or won't watch

[Brenda]

May 14, 2023 19:49:50 GMT -5 Easton said:

^ The Changeling was broadcast 4 years before Poltergeist hit the theatres.

I had never heard of a poltergeist until I watched that episode of The Waltons. I wonder if the writers of the 1982 film got the idea from watching that episode? Here’s a Wikipedia article about the film:

Poltergeist (1982 film)

There is no mention of The Waltons being an inspiration for the movie, but I did find it interesting that composer Jerry Goldsmith wrote the musical score for the film.  

[AuntieEm]

There are the usual silly episodes that most here on this Forum agree are easy to skip over without feeling any guilt.

There are, however, two episodes that I can’t watch not because they weren’t well made but because they are so sad. Think I’ve posted about this a number of years back.

They are The Gift and The Visitor.

[AR15]

May 15, 2023 18:31:28 GMT -5 AuntieEm said:

There are the usual silly episodes that most here on this Forum agree are easy to skip over without feeling any guilt.

There are, however, two episodes that I can’t watch not because they weren’t well made but because they are so sad. Think I’ve posted about this a number of years back.

They are The Gift and The Visitor.

The funny thing about sad episodes like that for me, is that they make me feel sad when I'm happy, but they give some comfort when I'm sad!

I think The Empty Nest definitely belongs in that category. I'm always apprehensive before watching it, because of how sad it is.

[carol]

Time was I would have had The Pearls in my list but I have grown to like it. It showcases the acting talent of Ronnie Clare Edwards.

[nedandres]

There are some episodes that I am not as fond of, but none that I consciously won’t watch. 👍🏻

[Brenda]

“The Changeling” was on Hallmark Drama yesterday afternoon, so I went ahead and watched it. I still don’t much care for the episode, but the subplot about Jason’s radio advice program was sort of interesting. After that episode, “The Portrait” came on, and I decided I didn’t want to watch it, so I changed the channel and watched a tribute to Tina Turner instead. I’m not even sure what channel it was, but it was better than seeing that scary portrait of Erin and listening to the strange background music.  So I guess “The Portrait” would be considered the episode I don’t or won’t watch.  

[patriciaanne]

^^^ I agree, Brenda.

[sambda]

Not that I refuse to watch them (I always force myself to watch all episodes of a show - it's part of the ride), but some of the crappier moments:

The JD Pickett "comedy" moments.

That army wife that Jim-Bob falls for who wears all 1970's clothes.

The endless episodes with runs/ride races round the mountain.

Tedious Stanley Perkins "Oohoho MiSsSs Roooohhhhse" (<-- impression) plots

Episode "The Medal". Can you honestly remember what it was about without looking at an episode guide?

Jim-Bob graduates as top of the class. Yeah, right. In "The Tailspin" (just the season before), he is getting grade F in English and "is out of school before the bell's stopped ringing".

Elizabeth and the poltergeist.

The way they (the Producers) treat Elizabeth as much younger that she is. In one episode, she's about 12 but you see her drawing a picture worthy of a 4-year-old. In "The Calling" (just watched it), she doesn't know what a nun is.

Cindy Mk1 then a completely different Cindy Mk2.

Mike Paxton. Bully then magically president of the student council. Bullies John-Boy then suddenly is his friend. Another student called Mike turns up when they obviously couldn't get the same actor in.

The way the scripts are not allowed to say "period" or "menopause". It's always, like, "coming of age" or "the change of life".

"The Children's Carol". A seasonal Christmas episode where it is "unseasonably warm". That would mean they're not going to bother with snow, then. They didn't bother with kids who could act either. Oh, and London is about 2 miles in radius, so people are easily tracked down. Kids from Britain are terribly polite.

Patsy Brimmer keeps changing.

Elizabeth nearly crippled for life, but then is OK next episode. Olivia's polio (but then she's OK next episode). John-Boy's brain clot (but then he's OK next episode). Zeb's heart attack (but then he's OK next episode).

Mary Ellen ditching David Spenser then getting married to Curt, who she hardly knows.

"The Inferno" and its award-winning special effects. (Well, it looked good on paper.)

Rev. Fordwick goes from a bible-thumping crackpot to a moderate preacher between episodes.

Any sports episode.

Stephen Collins' accent in that film episode.

Any story with developers coming onto the land. Boring and repetitive.

Any show where Jason is playing the piano, back to us, and then turns around.

Mentions of whippoorwills or trestle bridges.

John-Boy needing multiple large rooms ("to concentrate in") when the other kids are crammed in 3 to a room.

Mary Ellen hasn't yet qualified as a nurse, but seems to act in that capacity at Curt's surgery.

The way the kids invite people to stay in the house without prior permission of the parents. Just been watching "The Moonshiner" where Jason invites Boon to stay indefinitely without even asking Olivia.





I feel better now.

[sambda]

Another crap moment (to add to the above), this time in "The Parting".

Olivia, feeling vaguely unwell, goes to the doctor. He tells her that there's nothing much wrong, and prescribes a brief break, but gives "she's in trouble" looks to her Aunt Kate as they all depart the doctor's office. It later transcribes that the doctor knew about the TB and told Aunt Kate, but not Olivia or/and John! Some medical ethics there!

(It reminded me of the "thin curtain of confidentiality" in Doc Baker's surgery in LHOP. Whenever he has something private to impart to an interested party, he leaves the patient in his examining room, goes into the outer office (about 3 steps away) and draws a thin curtain which would have practically zero attenuation on the sound of the confidential conversation he then proceeds to have concerning the patient.)

[sambda]

I'm also doubtful that a family in the early 1940s could afford to run *six* cars.

By the end of Season 7 we have:

• The original green lumber truck (seen right back at the beginning)
• John-Boy's tan 2-seater
• The new tan car with the wood panelling that John bought
• Jim-Bob's old banger
• Cindy's red sports car
• A blue square-ish vehicle that is only seen occasionally and seems to belong to Mary Ellen and Curt, and was presumably what they used for their doctoring (i.e. house calls etc.) before ME moved it back to the main house.

[carol]

Jun 29, 2023 19:18:03 GMT -5 sambda said:

I'm also doubtful that a family in the early 1940s could afford to run *six* cars.

By the end of Season 7 we have:

• The original green lumber truck (seen right back at the beginning)
• John-Boy's tan 2-seater
• The new tan car with the wood panelling that John bought
• Jim-Bob's old banger
• Cindy's red sports car
• A blue square-ish vehicle that is only seen occasionally and seems to belong to Mary Ellen and Curt, and was presumably what they used for their doctoring (i.e. house calls etc.) before ME moved it back to the main house.

Mary Ellen was working as a nurse so she would have paid the gas for the ambulance she drove. Jim Bob built his car. All he had to do was put gas in it. Cindy already had her car when she married Ben so that was her responsibility not the family's. I think the Woody was part of the deal John made with Matt Sarver. John Boy and Jason both worked so they took care of the the tan car they shared. As for maintenance and repairs Jim Bob did all that so other than gas there wasn't much expense. I don't think auto insurance was around yet so that wasn't a worry.

[Easton]

^ Spot on, but I would like to add that Mary Ellen's 'ambulance' probably belonged to Doctor Vance and the doctor's office, and it passed to Curt and Mary Ellen when Dr. Vance retired.

[carol]

Jun 30, 2023 8:16:45 GMT -5 Easton said:

^ Spot on, but I would like to add that Mary Ellen's 'ambulance' probably belonged to Doctor Vance and the doctor's office, and it passed to Curt and Mary Ellen when Dr. Vance retired.

If it passed from doctor to doctor the ambulance may have belonged to the county therefore the county would be responsible for the gas and upkeep.

[Easton]

^ That was my thought, too. The county probably owned the house and doctor's office as well as well so there was no rent or mortgage to pay.

[Heather]

I absolutely detest the episodes where Curt comes back.

Tom Bower was pretty funny telling the story though. He said he asked for more money so they sent Curt to Pearl Harbor. He said when they decided to bring Curt back he asked for the same higher amount so they hired his friend.

LOL.

I pretend those episodes don't exist