User Reviews

If people think The Waltons is all goody two shoes and sweetness they should see this episode. We meet a visitor, Gino, who hurts his ankle and is taken into the Walton home for a time until he gets his bearings. John Boy is intrigued to learn he's all the way from New York City. He's cynical, evasive and rather spiteful of the family who feeds him and gives him a place to sleep.

Without telling the whole story this is one to remember for the acting and great writing. Even though Gino doesn't play fair with these good people they're not quick to judge. Gino helps them out greatly by conveying to Elizabeth there's a time when death is right for an animal but especially for a human being. Really makes me weep towards the end when he has quite a tale to tell growing up tough in Hell's Kitchen. Gino finally realizes, none too soon, to put his past behind him, appreciate humanity and maybe return to his regimented life at the CCC for another try. Don't miss this emotional and realistic episode.

The Episode aired on November 2 1972 with this opening. There was beauty on Waltons Mountain at any time of the year. However, looking back, the time I treasure most is spring when the days were growing longer and the promise of summer was ahead. They were the kind of days made for dreaming. However, being the oldest of seven children during the Depression didn't leave much time for daydreams. I remember a morning in the 1930's when I'd been sent to the store to oversee the buying of a pair of shoes for my youngest sister, Elizabeth. Early one Morning John Boy, Mary Ellen, and Elizabeth are on there way to the local store to pick up a pair of shoes for Elizabeth. When all of a sudden, a raccoon crosses the road running so the children start looking for it. As there coming through a bunch of trees, they see a stranger getting ready to kill the coon. John Boy and the man get into a fight when the man pulls a knife; As John Boy gets the knife the young man sprains his ankle. Therefore, John gets him a stick and takes him back to his parent's home. As Olivia fixes him up she tries to get some info of him but the man isn't doing any talking. Olivia feeds him and then he spends the night in the barn. After spending a couple of days with the Walton's John Boy was able to find out that Gino tells John Boy that he escaped from a CCC camp because the people that run the camp thought he stole some money. John goes to work for a rich man and brings home five dollars that goes towards the kid's shoes for winter. Gino sees Olivia put the money in a jar in the dark and puts the jar in the cupboard. After everyone goes to bed, Gino breaks into the house and takes the money only to turn around and there stands John with a shotgun pointed at him. Now the question is what John will do with Gino now. Once again, I like this episode because I've the beautiful shots of Walton's Mountain and the love that goes around in the family. I always dreamed of having a family like this and based on that I give this episode 10 weasel stars.

I am a big fan of this series but this one just didn't sit well with me. When someone continually destroys my trust I do not give them chance upon chance. This was too far out for me to understand the logic. A dangerous boy should never be brought into the safe environment of "home".