Aunt Martha Corinnie Walton's home is in danger by the right-of-way for The Blue Ridge Parkway. All of the Walton clan comes to her aid and try and stop the contractor. During a skirmish with the contractor and deputies, John-Boy gets shot.

During John-Boy's 1st day at Boatwright he encounters a variety of new challenges. Back at the Walton home, Jason feels the need to be the oldest and excel at school like John-Boy. All of the other children object to Jason's attitude

John-Boy enters Blue the family mule in the annual cross-country race & tries to win Selena Linville's affections.Grandpa had won that race years before

Now that John-Boy is at College, Jim Bob feels small and alone. He brings home a guinea pig, a mascot at school. During the night the little creature dies but the rest of the family are too busy with their own activities to spend time with him. Sad and alone after burying it in the woods, Jim Bob runs away.

Olivia enrolls herself in art class at night and her teacher makes romantic advances.Mary Ellen says she wants to be a nurse

Mary Ellen buys a purse. At home she finds there's a pretty amethyst ring inside which she decides to wear at the dance, but she and Erin keep the finding of the ring a secret.

Ben learns the hazards of smoking. John-Boy sticks up for a fellow student who violates Boatwright's honor code during a history exam. There were extenuating circumstances

A New York family who is dysfunctional moves to Walton's Mountain. They end up causing havoc in the Walton's household and they move back to New York City

In Scottsville John-Boy enters a dance marathon with Daisy Garner, a total stranger. It starts out fun but quickly becomes a drudgery until Olivia comes to the rescue.

John-Boy finds out that a collection of his short stories will be published and Jason secures a job with Bobby Bigelow and the haystack gang

John-Boy gets a job reading to a young blind woman. The woman is hostile towards him and the world in general. She goes to Walton's Mountain and realizes she has much more for which to be thankful.

John seeks work in a Norfolk shipyard because he feels that life has passed by him but he soon realizes that the family needs him at home and he really wants to be there.

Zeb's old friend returns to Walton's Mountain without his wife. The Walton's learn that she died earlier but he will not acknowledge her passing.

Grandpa has a heart attack and seems to be unresponsive to treatment. The family try to cheer him up, and against doctor's orders, move him to a tent outside so he can communicate with nature

Ben goes to Charlottesville to take a young girl to meet her mother and borrows John-Boy's truck without his permission. The truck is involved in a hit and run unknown to Ben.

Corabeth Walton, a cousin of the Waltons, comes for an unannounced extended visit. Ike Godsey is instantly taken with her and they quickly marry. Erin enters the Jefferson County Sweetheart Contest.

John-Boy encounters a sassy but unprincipled girl whose selfish ways cause hard feelings and suspicion toward Danny, Jim Bob's friend.

Grandpa and Grandma become angry with the family and move out to care for a friend's house.Everybody soon realizes that their place is back home

Wedding plans for the daughter of a friend go awry when the mountain custom of kidnapping the groom get out of hand

Godsey's store has a raffle of a statue and Grandpa wins the statue - a dead ringer that looks like one of Grandpa's girlfriend prior to Grandma. John-Boy writes a story of a failed romance between Miss Emily and Ashley Longworth

Sally Ann Harper has eyes for Jason but Ben falls in love with her. Grandpa and John enter a billiard competition at Ike's store

John and Olivia make plans for their 20 th wedding anniversary, John-Boy falls in love with a older woman and decides to leave the mountain with her

John decides to expand his business by building a new mill. To meet a deadline for a big order, John works day and night & gets pneumonia. While he's in the hostipal his friends finish the mill, but he loses the big contract.