Waltons: Love Story

30 years later I still ache inside from this episode 2002-01-29 When I was growing up, there were a few shows that made a big impact on me, the kind of life-altering impact that helped make me who I am today.

One such show was "Time Enough at Last," the classic Twlight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith as a voracious reader who winds up to be the last man on earth. That ending still gives me the chills.

Another show was "All That Glitters," an episode of Lost in Space that tugged a bit at my heartstrings.

Other shows, not available on any format, include The Sixth Sense starring Gary Collins as a parapsychologist. Some scenes from that show still scare the willies out of me to remember them. (I wish someone would release those episodes on VHS or, better yet, DVD!) I also loved Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

Then there was The Waltons, a show seemingly perfect for someone who's more a feeler than a thinker.

This episode of the Waltons ("Love Story") touched my heart like very few shows ever did. Or ever could. Maybe "touched" isn't the right word. Maybe ripped it out of my chest, beating and bleeding is closer to the truth. In fact, nearly 30 years after I first saw "Love Story," I can still feel the pain inside from watching John-Boy fight back the tears when Jenny Pendleton tells him she has to go away -- and that after they promised each other they'd marry and settle down together.

My gosh, does this episode hurt me emotionally. It's almost too painful to watch.

I know because I bought this video recently and watched it. Sure enough, the tears fell like rain at the end. Especially listening to John-Boy sing in that plaintive voice of his some love song accompanied by a zither.

TV never had a more emotional moment, in my opinion. And I have yet to see any medium capture what lost love and shattered dreams actually FEELS like the way this episode does.

If you like that sort of thing, this is the video to watch.

John-Boy Walton falls in love with Jenny Pendleton 2002-01-01 "The Love Story" was the episode of "The Waltons" where Jenny Pendleton, played by Sian Barbara Allen, showed up on Walton's Mountain and forever won John-Boy Walton's heart. He discovers that young Jenny has run away from her home in Richmond and has been staying at the old Pendleton place on Walton's Mountain. Her father has recently remarried and he is too busy with his new bride to pay her much attention, and so she has returned to live on the Mountain for a while. The Waltons take Jenny into their home and she gets to see what it is like to live in the warmth of a large, loving family. Jenny's father and stepmother show up and decide to stay awhile at the old place, providing a chance for them to bond. But Jenny and John-Boy are too busy falling in love for that to happen. However, by turning her back on what she said she wanted, Jenny has tempted the Fates and they exact a high price. "Love Story" is one of the classic episodes of "The Waltons," pretty much of everyone's Top 10 list. This episode, which originally aired January 18, 1973, received Emmy nominations for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s writing and Lee Philip's direction. The character of Jenny appeared the following season in "The Thanksgiving Story" and Allen received a Golden Globe nomination for most promising actress in 1973. Of course, some time between now and then that particular award was retired. I think after Pia Zadora won it, if I am not mistaken, although I imply no causality.

- Amazon