jsc
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Post by jsc on Feb 17, 2016 17:15:48 GMT -5
Hi, all - I don't get to come to the forum often, but I have a question. First, I love "The Waltons" but admittedly, I like the earlier episodes (before Grandpa died and Olivia left) so I tend to watch those more. So, I have a few questions, actually.
1. What happened to Ben and Cindy's daughter? I happened to catch one of the movies a few weeks ago and Cindy was crying to Ben about Virginia's death.
2. I also happened to catch the episode recently where Olivia was diagnosed with TB and left for the sanitarium (I know this is when Michael Learned wanted to leave the show); however, I caught a later episode and she was back - it was the episode where Olivia was trying to run a daycare out of the house for the female workers at JD's plant - can someone fill me in on the storyline and why Michael returned and left again?
3. Since I'm asking my questions - one more - I think I read that Olivia brought Rose and her grandchildren to the family? How did that occur?
Thank you!
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Post by aresalz on Feb 17, 2016 20:21:35 GMT -5
This isn't really a definitive answer to your question about Virginia, but it's the best my limited knowledge of the Walton's can come up with.
Born season 8 --- which is the 1943-1944 time frame
I do recall seeing her in season 9 -- The Valediction --- which also had a subplot of D Day.
I don't recall seeing her in another episode after that.
There was no death of the babe in the final regular season -- as this would have to had been a traumatic event.
I have read elsewhere that she died in 1961 --- no idea of cause --- unverified.
Maybe this tidbit of info will strike a chord for someone else. |
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jsc
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Post by jsc on Feb 17, 2016 21:48:45 GMT -5
Thank you for replying.  |
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Post by goodnight on Feb 17, 2016 23:04:42 GMT -5
There were 2 sets of 3 reunion movies. There was one trilogy set right after WW2. Virginia was in those as a toddler.
It's only in the second trilogy of movies, set (in my opinion idiotically*) in the sixties, that says she died. If she died in '61 she would have been 18. This second trilogy of movies also completely forgot about her little brother Charlie and her cousin John Curtis.
*The second trilogy of reunion movies had John and Olivia having their 40th anniversary in 1969. In the actual series they had their 20th in 1935/36. If they were not married until 1929, that means possibly all their children were born before they were married. (if we had a smiley to use for rolling eyes, I would put it here).
Michael Learned left the show. They wrote her character out by having her go to a TB care center. The actress returned for a limited number of episodes. That is when she started up the daycare and had Rose come to stay. She was written out again by having her stay with JohnBoy while he was recovering from war injuries. And her character was doing Red Cross work. However the actress still did not return to the show after he recovered and went back to the army and even after the war (almost 2 years). All they said when she was mentioned was she was still working for the Red Cross. It was only when Ralph Waite left the show, that they had a story line that her TB had come back and she had to go to Arizona and he went with her.
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Post by twinkle on Feb 18, 2016 6:38:13 GMT -5
Hi, all - I don't get to come to the forum often, but I have a question. First, I love "The Waltons" but admittedly, I like the earlier episodes (before Grandpa died and Olivia left) so I tend to watch those more. So, I have a few questions, actually. 1. What happened to Ben and Cindy's daughter? I happened to catch one of the movies a few weeks ago and Cindy was crying to Ben about Virginia's death. 2. I also happened to catch the episode recently where Olivia was diagnosed with TB and left for the sanitarium (I know this is when Michael Learned wanted to leave the show); however, I caught a later episode and she was back - it was the episode where Olivia was trying to run a daycare out of the house for the female workers at JD's plant - can someone fill me in on the storyline and why Michael returned and left again? 3. Since I'm asking my questions - one more - I think I read that Olivia brought Rose and her grandchildren to the family? How did that occur? Thank you! There's been a lot of discussion on here regarding the death of Virginia and the disappearance of Ben and Cindy's baby Charlie from the reunion specials but it never hurts to raise a few points now and then I think the writers of the show underestimated the fans observance of the sequence of events in the life of the family, certainly Eric Scott (Ben) has even said that he raised the issue with producers during the making of one of the reunion specials and he was told 'nobody will notice!'. Well we did! Yeah we are told Virginia died in A Walton Thanksgiving - but not how or why. And her death is out of context with the fact that the special is set in 1963 and yet Cindy is speaking about Virginia as though she is still a small child when she would actually be almost 20 years old. So in context she'd have been 18 when she died as Cindy says 'It's been almost two years'..... Baby Charlie simply no longer exists. John Curtis also disappears from the later specials. Olivia's initial departure from the show coincides with her work on A Christmas Without Snow (1980) and then she returns, as you point out, for more Waltons episodes. I'd suggest she left to do that film and came back later. Rose's arrival on the show was to compensate for Michael Learned's upcoming permanent departure from the series - they needed to keep a maternal figure for the family when Michael was no longer going to be there as Olivia so that makes sense to me. Rose landed on their doorstep with her grandchildren needing some place to live after she took the children away from their father (her son) due to his drinking. But then they simply disappear overnight, going back to their rehabilitated father in Series 9...this is referred to very briefly by Rose in the episode The Outrage but blink and you'll miss it. |
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Post by goodnight on Feb 18, 2016 9:11:01 GMT -5
That's what I've said before, Rose was brought in to be a maternal figure when the characters of Olivia and Esther were no longer there. If Michael Learned did not want to stay with the show after her limited return they should have done it this way, let the character relapse when she is no longer taking care of JohnBoy. Only when Mr. Waite was going to leave the show, then have her have to go to Arizona. I've heard that before about writers/producers saying "Oh, the viewers won't notice". I bet even if you ask someone who didn't watch the show on a regular basis what time period the Waltons was set in they could tell you the thirties and forties. But people who did watch it all the time are not supposed to notice that you've moved the whole story about 20 years ahead. Please, give me a break. Edited to add: There's a cute scene in the first set of reunion movies when Virginia is a toddler and John Curtis maybe 6 or so. John is showing them pictures and when they see a picture of Zeb, John Curtis realizes and says it's their imaginary friend, Virginia pipes up, "That's him". |
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Post by married2oldfool on Feb 18, 2016 15:47:58 GMT -5
Hi, all - I don't get to come to the forum often, but I have a question. First, I love "The Waltons" but admittedly, I like the earlier episodes (before Grandpa died and Olivia left) so I tend to watch those more. So, I have a few questions, actually. 1. What happened to Ben and Cindy's daughter? I happened to catch one of the movies a few weeks ago and Cindy was crying to Ben about Virginia's death. Yeah we are told Virginia died in A Walton Thanksgiving - but not how or why. I believe they said Virginia drowned. |
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Post by Kathy Lee on Feb 22, 2016 6:41:35 GMT -5
I always wondered why Earl Hamner did not have more of a say with the scripts. Did he?
It would have been nice if he had the final read and approval of the scripts. I don't think he would have approved of some of the things written for the shows.
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Post by Brenda on Feb 22, 2016 8:15:09 GMT -5
Yeah we are told Virginia died in A Walton Thanksgiving - but not how or why. I believe they said Virginia drowned. They didn't say how she died. I've seen the drowning theory posted on this forum in the past, but I think it's just a theory someone thought up. I don't recall anyone associated with the show ever saying how Virginia died. |
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Post by married2oldfool on Feb 22, 2016 18:35:27 GMT -5
I believe they said Virginia drowned. They didn't say how she died. I've seen the drowning theory posted on this forum in the past, but I think it's just a theory someone thought up. I don't recall anyone associated with the show ever saying how Virginia died. I just watched A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion movie and you're right, they never said how she died, just that it had been 2 years. I've 'Googled' that question before and there are answers that she drowned but I don't know where they got their information. I'd have to watch all the reunion movies to see if it's mentioned. I believe you are right though, that's it's just something someone threw out there. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2016 20:57:34 GMT -5
Virginia drowned. That's the story they WANT us to believe. We know the real story. One day she went out for a swim and this happened  Which brings to mind the old saying: "Yes Virginia, there is a shark called jaws" |
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Post by aresalz on Feb 24, 2016 15:37:11 GMT -5
Virginia drowned. That's the story they WANT us to believe. We know the real story. One day she went out for a swim and this happened Which brings to mind the old saying: "Yes Virginia, there is a shark called jaws" I'm never going wading in a mountain strem again !!!!!!! |
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Post by nedandres on Feb 24, 2016 16:12:51 GMT -5
Virginia Walton never died. She is alive, just like Elvis Presley. She put in a good word with Elvis for her uncle Jason. That is how he could sell Elvis one of his songs!
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Post by ForeverWaltons on Feb 24, 2016 19:03:57 GMT -5
Virginia drowned. That's the story they WANT us to believe. We know the real story. One day she went out for a swim and this happened Which brings to mind the old saying: "Yes Virginia, there is a shark called jaws" I'm never going wading in a mountain stream again !!!!!!!
LOL! That's a good one aresalz. I was nine years old when Jaws came out. I remember being afraid that a shark would come up through the toilet or through the bathtub drain and get me.  
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Post by aresalz on Feb 24, 2016 21:13:03 GMT -5
Lol! This reminds me of the Carol Burnett episode where Harvey and Tim were fishing for toilet sharks. I remember Harvey was playing Squint. Don't recall Tim's character. Anyway --- Hilarious!!!!!
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