The Waltons (TV Series) The Career Girl (1977) User Reviews

Kathleen Hite!

[hmoika · 9/10 · 28 April 2020]

Kathleen Hite scripted this one, as well as many other episodes of this show. She scripted many episodes of the radio version of Gunsmoke and later the tv version.

Her script is the reason I chose 9 stars.

Once again, though, I wasn't too thrilled with the secondary plot concerning Ike Godsey (and where the heck was his wife and daughter through all of this?)

Still, it was a very enjoyable outing!

A decent episode

[fentress · 7/10 · 23 July 2021]

I call this a good episode. It's not a great one, but a good one. The main premise of this episode is that upon graduating high school. Erin suddenly realizes she has no particular interest she wants to pursue in her life that sets her apart from the other siblings. Well, anyone who has regularly watched the series up to this point would have already noticed that! I always felt that all the siblings, Erin was the most under-written as a character.

The basic premise sounds a little like a Problem of the Week gimmick, like a plot for a Brady Bunch episode. However, as I perceived it, the "problem" isn't "solved" by the end of the episode. Perhaps mildly it is. Erin has resolved a couple of practical problems by the end of the story. But the story respects the intelligence of the viewer. Erin doesn't suddenly discover a unique interest that could compare to Jason's music or Jim-Bob's mechanical aptitude, etc. Instead, life just goes on as best it can.

Like the one other review that is posted at the time I'm writing this, I wasn't too pleased with the subplot concerning Ike Godsey. He's obsessed with the notion that John-Boy's novel is largely about him, and encourages Jim-Bob to act in a mildly unethical manner to find out. The usually avuncular Ike displays an egocentrism here that is truly out of character. If they insisted on having this small-minded subplot, at least let it come to a satisfying climax. We don't even see any reaction on John-Boy's part. I'm docking the episode one star for this.

So the main premise is not the strongest, and there's a subplot that isn't so good. Otherwise though, you will find the same warmth and good writing that you can expect from the better Waltons episodes.

Dealing with Depression

[jaimhaas · 10/10 · 9 March 2022]

Look at the record numbers of depressed we have in this overly narcissistic culture of ours. This episode offers a great method to cure it. Stop focussing on yourself and do something for others. A great bit of wisdom passed from father to the rest of his family. Jon Boy delivers the message to his sister after she brings the rest of the family down day after day. A great story for parents today to understand that behavior can be altered by good advice from elders.

An Episode About Erin

[janet-conant · 6/10 · 6 January 2023]

Most of the episodes about Erin were just subplots like getting her picture taken and falling in love with a fawn named Lancelot. We saw her try to elope with a lost love that had disastrous results but this episode is about Erin's future. Her face on her graduation day is one of pure disappointment especially when Mrs. Fordwick, where is Matthew, embarrasses Erin by saying she hadn't a clue what her future holds. I found her acrimonious words very rude and not the sort of attitude a caring teacher would summon. She simply could have said Erin works as a telephone operator at present and has may interests. Just not say her beauty is her guide.

Erin tries a stint as a waitress at a truck stop diner and seems to like it until some redneck grabs her arm right out of the blue. It seems very contrived the way he doesn't let go and she starts yelling so Jason steps in. If it were the Dew Drop Inn you could understand the fight but here it's out of place. Erin starts to feel sorry for herself putting Jason in jeopardy but it's not her fault. John Boy gives her some friendly advice to maybe think about others and not dwell on herself. She must have been thinking of John Boy because she sees a sign for a used typewriter in Rockfish and next thing we know she's abandoned her operator job, poor Fannie, to work at a business school to buy John Boy a typewriter.

The Walton Mutual Admiration Society is born when John offers free ads in his paper to pay for Erin's tuition there then finds she's working there for him. It was a good episode to see things happen for Erin for a change instead of MaryEllen. McDonough was good in this but the subplot with Ike wanting Jim Bob to snoop into John Boy's manuscript was out of character.