According to the narration, from time to time the Waltons would take in an orphan for a few days, after which they would return him to the orphanage. This seems...cruel? Anyhoo their current visiting orphan is Stevie, a tough little SOB who isn't exactly warming up to the family, but may have a future with local blacksmith Curtis Norton and wife Ann. We first saw Curtis in "The Bicycle" from the first season, played by Ned Beatty; here the role has been taken over by Victor French, a definite improvement (no offense to Mr. Beatty, who is a legend). Beatty portrayed Curtis as an overly-serious neurotic bumpkin; French's Curtis is easygoing and avuncular, the kind of guy you'd have some recipe with. His scenes with Stevie are delightful. It's too bad Curtis couldn't have been made a regular character; I think Victor French's talent would have been better spent on this show than "Little House on the Prairie," victim to Michael Landon's schmaltzy excesses. Ivy Jones is solid as highly-strung, but redeemable Ann Norton. Bonus points for the hilarious scene where Jason discovers staying up late with the grown-ups is boring as hell. 8/10 stars.
4 Reviews
One of the most perfectly simple and beautiful episodes
hmoika11 December 2018
I completely agree with the reviewer who, like me, awarded 10 stars for this episode.
The Waltons is a show built on things such as simplicity and warmth. Most often, it succeeds; sometimes, it strays a bit into something overdone. However, with this episode, everything clicked. Again, as the other 10-star reviewer noted, this episode was a masterful combination of script, casting, direction, and acting. How could there possibly be a dry eye in the house by the end of the story?
Masterful........precisely because of the simplicity, and because of the honesty in the lines spoken.
Oh my, how nice it was to see this again after so long!
The Waltons is a show built on things such as simplicity and warmth. Most often, it succeeds; sometimes, it strays a bit into something overdone. However, with this episode, everything clicked. Again, as the other 10-star reviewer noted, this episode was a masterful combination of script, casting, direction, and acting. How could there possibly be a dry eye in the house by the end of the story?
Masterful........precisely because of the simplicity, and because of the honesty in the lines spoken.
Oh my, how nice it was to see this again after so long!
Love and Adoption
chrissiedyson2119 August 2018
A beautifully written and acted episode all about infertility and dreams of having a family. It doesn't skirt the imbalance of a couple's different reactions to meeting a little lad who needs a forever family.
Excellent casting and great acting.
Excellent casting and great acting.
Not Interesting
garyldibert24 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
TITLE: THE FULFILLMENT ORIGINAL AIRDATE: February 7, 1974 WRITERS: Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden DIRECTOR: Nick Webster
PROLOGUE: "The Depression years were hard ones for just about everyone in the country. Our family had little money and few luxuries, but we did have food on the table and clean clothes to wear, even if they were mostly hand-me-downs, and a bountiful supply of love to sustain our household. Other families were not as fortunate as we were, and I remember how my mother and father occasionally invited a child from the Jefferson County Orphanage to share our life on Walton's Mountain."
SYNOPSIS: John and Olivia bring Stevie home for a visit from the Jefferson County orphanage. The family has a history of bringing orphans home for short visits. We last saw evidence of this when Hobie Shank a former orphan came for a visit in "The Braggart" (s2-ep8) Stevie is 7 years old. He has a chip on his shoulder from his tough life being moved about and doesn't relate well to other children. He has trust issues and it takes some time for him to warm up to the family. John-Boy has been helping Curtis Norton the blacksmith since he burned his hand on the job. He witnesses a tension between Curtis and Ann his wife. Ann has become restless in her marriage. She has been shopping for expensive dresses and decorating her home like scenes from a movie. When Olivia stops by, she confides that she is not able to have children of her own. Stevie knocks over a bowl of freshly peeled apples and runs away rather than suffer the blame. Curtis picks him up on the road and brings him back to his house where John-Boy tells him that he is visiting his family from the orphanage. Stevie takes a shining to Curtis. Later when Ann and Curtis visit with the Walton's they learn that Stevie has come from the orphanage. Ann believes that the family has plotted to bring Stevie, her, and Curtis together. She is not ready yet to accept her situation and open her heart to the possibility of welcoming Stevie into their life. On the final day of his stay, it is obvious that the visit has had an impact on Stevie. Just as they are about to leave to take Stevie back to the county home, Curtis and Ann arrive to talk to Stevie. Ann speaks to him alone and asks if he would like to be adopted as their son. Stevie accepts.
QUESTIONS: Who pick Stevie up along the road? Where did Stevie come from? What was Ann running from?
EPILOGUE: "The Depression lingered on, hard times continued, but somehow the love that was most important to us on Walton's Mountain extended itself to others, and love is what the Nortons gave to Stevie, and he to them."
MY THOUGHTS: This was one of those episodes that lack action and drama. You knew what was going to happen right from the beginning. I give this episode 4 weasel stars.
PROLOGUE: "The Depression years were hard ones for just about everyone in the country. Our family had little money and few luxuries, but we did have food on the table and clean clothes to wear, even if they were mostly hand-me-downs, and a bountiful supply of love to sustain our household. Other families were not as fortunate as we were, and I remember how my mother and father occasionally invited a child from the Jefferson County Orphanage to share our life on Walton's Mountain."
SYNOPSIS: John and Olivia bring Stevie home for a visit from the Jefferson County orphanage. The family has a history of bringing orphans home for short visits. We last saw evidence of this when Hobie Shank a former orphan came for a visit in "The Braggart" (s2-ep8) Stevie is 7 years old. He has a chip on his shoulder from his tough life being moved about and doesn't relate well to other children. He has trust issues and it takes some time for him to warm up to the family. John-Boy has been helping Curtis Norton the blacksmith since he burned his hand on the job. He witnesses a tension between Curtis and Ann his wife. Ann has become restless in her marriage. She has been shopping for expensive dresses and decorating her home like scenes from a movie. When Olivia stops by, she confides that she is not able to have children of her own. Stevie knocks over a bowl of freshly peeled apples and runs away rather than suffer the blame. Curtis picks him up on the road and brings him back to his house where John-Boy tells him that he is visiting his family from the orphanage. Stevie takes a shining to Curtis. Later when Ann and Curtis visit with the Walton's they learn that Stevie has come from the orphanage. Ann believes that the family has plotted to bring Stevie, her, and Curtis together. She is not ready yet to accept her situation and open her heart to the possibility of welcoming Stevie into their life. On the final day of his stay, it is obvious that the visit has had an impact on Stevie. Just as they are about to leave to take Stevie back to the county home, Curtis and Ann arrive to talk to Stevie. Ann speaks to him alone and asks if he would like to be adopted as their son. Stevie accepts.
QUESTIONS: Who pick Stevie up along the road? Where did Stevie come from? What was Ann running from?
EPILOGUE: "The Depression lingered on, hard times continued, but somehow the love that was most important to us on Walton's Mountain extended itself to others, and love is what the Nortons gave to Stevie, and he to them."
MY THOUGHTS: This was one of those episodes that lack action and drama. You knew what was going to happen right from the beginning. I give this episode 4 weasel stars.
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