I don't want to give too much away in case you want to watch this, but to have Curt abandon his wife and son for the reason given in the storyline is absurd. He has that happen to him so he never sees his son again?!?! I love The Waltons, but I skip this one in the rotation if I see it is on. The storyline about Erin and JD is good though.
11 Reviews
Soap opera ....
Timothynorris19 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Seriously,
Soap opera like--replacement Curt was more jarring than the new John Boy. At this point the Walton's had lost Grandpa, Grandma, John, Olivia and the original John Boy.
This episode while cannon does not feel like the Waltons. The series was limping to its eventual ending.
It had been 40 years since I had since this episode, not memorable in the least.
Soap opera like--replacement Curt was more jarring than the new John Boy. At this point the Walton's had lost Grandpa, Grandma, John, Olivia and the original John Boy.
This episode while cannon does not feel like the Waltons. The series was limping to its eventual ending.
It had been 40 years since I had since this episode, not memorable in the least.
Times are changing and so are the people
kellielulu14 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I actually did like the plot with Erin more too. It wasn't the best but it was fine . I do think it was typical of what was happening with working women in the post war. Unfair but realistically they at least didn't avoid it and probably went better than it did for most.
The problem with the episode is they have Mary Ellen fall in love again only to find out Curt is alive . The way it's resolved isn't so much that Curt and Mary Ellen will divorce it's that he let everyone think he was dead . Things have changed for him too much to return to his old life. I think that part is not so farfetched .War changes people and they didn't ignore it but It does add up to him not wanting a part in his son's life and letting Mary Ellen think she is a widow and yes there are other considerations like his status as a casulty of war . In the end he has moved on but didn't bother to tell anyone. I guess it's part that he has PTSD and that he can't or won't return to his family or being a doctor. It's resolved that Mary Ellen sees things have changed for both of them and leaves it's clear that she is choosing to let go and start a new life with Jonsey instead of fight for Curt when she knows it will make no one happy including herself. Mary Ellen has really grown up.
The problem with the episode is they have Mary Ellen fall in love again only to find out Curt is alive . The way it's resolved isn't so much that Curt and Mary Ellen will divorce it's that he let everyone think he was dead . Things have changed for him too much to return to his old life. I think that part is not so farfetched .War changes people and they didn't ignore it but It does add up to him not wanting a part in his son's life and letting Mary Ellen think she is a widow and yes there are other considerations like his status as a casulty of war . In the end he has moved on but didn't bother to tell anyone. I guess it's part that he has PTSD and that he can't or won't return to his family or being a doctor. It's resolved that Mary Ellen sees things have changed for both of them and leaves it's clear that she is choosing to let go and start a new life with Jonsey instead of fight for Curt when she knows it will make no one happy including herself. Mary Ellen has really grown up.
What were they thinking with this script?
FlushingCaps23 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
It is impossible to review The Tempest episode without spoiling much of the main story. In my opinion, viewers who wish to watch every episode but one in this series should choose this one as the one to skip.
First, the secondary plot. Erin argues with her boss again and quits because he is asking her to take a cut in pay and become second-assistant under new hire, Jonesy, who has decided to stay around while Mary Ellen goes to Florida to find out if the visitor in the last episode really does know her husband, who everyone believes was killed at Pearl Harbor four years ago. J.D. Pickett has always been a comical character on the series, but this time they turn him into too much of a buffoon to be a successful owner of a factory. Jonesy came just asking for a job that paid enough to pay for his boarding house. J.D. hires him to work over Erin, instead of letting him come in under her and learn the business before he got promoted over her.
Erin tries working at selling real estate for Corabeth, but her first assignment is to talk the Baldwin ladies into selling their home. While Corabeth had plenty of good reasons why they should move, she was ignoring how attached they were to the large old home, and it took Erin to convince them not to sell.
The make-up scene with J.D. trying to rehire Erin was so predictable, I can't imagine anyone upset at me mentioning it here.
Most of the episode takes place in Florida, where Mary Ellen learns that Curt indeed is alive. He pretends to not know her, but later admits who he is, telling her how he was knocked unconscious on Dec. 7 and had amnesia for a while. When he got his memory back, he decided to try to forget about his previous life and change names and have nothing to do with anyone he cared about, not even his wife or young son.
He drinks a lot, shows a huge temper, and refuses to tell Mary Ellen what's really wrong—until near the end of the show, of course. To me, what was troubling him should not have had any impact on him wanting to raise the son he loved. He also stated that he wanted to never have anything to do with medicine or doctors again. On this point, no explanation was ever even suggested, which is another thing wrong with this episode.
The way Curt behaved in abandoning his family just bothered me so much I want to skip any scenes involving him when watching reruns of the series. Or, better yet, just skip this sorry two-part episode and I'll be much happier, and so will most viewers.
First, the secondary plot. Erin argues with her boss again and quits because he is asking her to take a cut in pay and become second-assistant under new hire, Jonesy, who has decided to stay around while Mary Ellen goes to Florida to find out if the visitor in the last episode really does know her husband, who everyone believes was killed at Pearl Harbor four years ago. J.D. Pickett has always been a comical character on the series, but this time they turn him into too much of a buffoon to be a successful owner of a factory. Jonesy came just asking for a job that paid enough to pay for his boarding house. J.D. hires him to work over Erin, instead of letting him come in under her and learn the business before he got promoted over her.
Erin tries working at selling real estate for Corabeth, but her first assignment is to talk the Baldwin ladies into selling their home. While Corabeth had plenty of good reasons why they should move, she was ignoring how attached they were to the large old home, and it took Erin to convince them not to sell.
The make-up scene with J.D. trying to rehire Erin was so predictable, I can't imagine anyone upset at me mentioning it here.
Most of the episode takes place in Florida, where Mary Ellen learns that Curt indeed is alive. He pretends to not know her, but later admits who he is, telling her how he was knocked unconscious on Dec. 7 and had amnesia for a while. When he got his memory back, he decided to try to forget about his previous life and change names and have nothing to do with anyone he cared about, not even his wife or young son.
He drinks a lot, shows a huge temper, and refuses to tell Mary Ellen what's really wrong—until near the end of the show, of course. To me, what was troubling him should not have had any impact on him wanting to raise the son he loved. He also stated that he wanted to never have anything to do with medicine or doctors again. On this point, no explanation was ever even suggested, which is another thing wrong with this episode.
The way Curt behaved in abandoning his family just bothered me so much I want to skip any scenes involving him when watching reruns of the series. Or, better yet, just skip this sorry two-part episode and I'll be much happier, and so will most viewers.
Dumb episode.
cwstrgzr26 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Baldwins will never sell, JD cant live without Erin. Now for the hard to believe. Why isn't the military after Curt? They declared him dead, paid out benefits and he went AWOL living as someone else, so fraud plus he owes child support and alimony. Plus he is still married. Dumb plot.
Every series has one.
paulbranaman-745087 July 2022
Just Another Reason
janet-conant30 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Why The Waltons should have ended the series after Season 5 when Richard Thomas left the show. Okay so maybe give the other actors another season to give them time to think what they want to do with their lives. Michael Learned, Waite, Corby and Geer could always get work but to keep the series going for another 4 seasons while the actors are dropping like flies is really jumping that shark. What finally happened to Waite could they not pay him? Michael Learned comes and goes throughout the later seasons writing ridiculous scenarios about her situation was she having an identity crisis? I believe she got TB then got cured, then came back temporarily to leave again to work at a hospital. I don't watch many episodes in Season 8 or 9 so did Olivia get sick again? What happened to Rose's 2 grandchildren and having Ben get married just didn't work.
To have MaryEllen fall in love again is boring. Judy certainly is pretty enough but who is that suitor? I can't believe she would choose that guy, Jonesy. Isn't this a good time for Dr. David Spencer to try his luck again with MaryEllen?
Also I not only found it strange to replace Richard Thomas as did Learned, but why show us a complete stranger in a picture pretending to be Curt, Tom Bower. I guess they couldn't use his likeness. If someone tuned into an episode in Season 8 and 9 they would say it looks like the Walton house but who are these people?
To have MaryEllen fall in love again is boring. Judy certainly is pretty enough but who is that suitor? I can't believe she would choose that guy, Jonesy. Isn't this a good time for Dr. David Spencer to try his luck again with MaryEllen?
Also I not only found it strange to replace Richard Thomas as did Learned, but why show us a complete stranger in a picture pretending to be Curt, Tom Bower. I guess they couldn't use his likeness. If someone tuned into an episode in Season 8 and 9 they would say it looks like the Walton house but who are these people?
Hands-down unquestionably the *WORST* episode of the series
pemigewasset688 November 2021
There are bad episodes. There are terrible episodes. There are awful episodes. And then there's this one. Writers who not only know nothing about the series or the characters but apparently have some obscure personal axe to grind... it's almost as though somebody knew the series was ending and they decided to just go ahead and cherry bomb the backed up toilet.
The writers, directors and producers did the characters and actors a gross disservice with this episode. It was a Paisley shirt with a plaid pair of pants, jarring and pointless, contributing nothing to the story or character development and perhaps even dealing some mild to moderate damage.
Based on the downward trend in this final series of the show I'd be willing to skip the remaining episodes and go directly to the movies, but my wife says we must see it through to the bitter end. I guess we're just grotesquely optimistic gluttons for punishment. Here's hoping that this egregious episode was simply a fluke.
The writers, directors and producers did the characters and actors a gross disservice with this episode. It was a Paisley shirt with a plaid pair of pants, jarring and pointless, contributing nothing to the story or character development and perhaps even dealing some mild to moderate damage.
Based on the downward trend in this final series of the show I'd be willing to skip the remaining episodes and go directly to the movies, but my wife says we must see it through to the bitter end. I guess we're just grotesquely optimistic gluttons for punishment. Here's hoping that this egregious episode was simply a fluke.
Should've left well enough alone
lee_veinot21 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So they brought Curt back from the dead just to be played by a different actor, give a nonsensical reason why he left Mary Ellen and no reason they can't work things out. They make it seem like Erin and Jonesy are going to get together, then make Mary Ellen hand her husband over to another woman and leave without a care. Why bother bringing Curt back? I wouldn't be surprised if they showed the script to the real actor and he turned it down. Why didn't they just spend another episode getting Mary Ellen and Jonesy to get to know each other better before getting engaged and leave this horrendous plot out? Speaking of fiancés, what happened to Jason's? He got engaged and then she's gone and he's opening a bar? And John Boy gets engaged only to leave Paris , get back home 2 episodes later, and then disappear again? Did they have people writing these scripts without knowing what was going on in other episodes? Its no wonder this was the last season. I really loved this series, but this is getting unbearable to watch.
Comical Plot, Not On Purpose
pinkjem-3930317 September 2021
I wish this never was.
ebbysebby28 February 2024
I hate this episode so much! The story line is completely pointless! I don't understand the thinking behind the writing. It's only purpose was to ruin the memory of the show and characters. There was nothing wrong with leaving Curt dead. The pearl harbour episode is one of my favourites and it was devastating. This undoes everything and makes so many things worse, and for what? Why? Every time I see this episode I'm disgusted. They made Curt a deadbeat dad instead of a good memory. I feel bad for the implications to John Curtis, poor kid. The writers didn't care about him.
I wish they had never done this story line and left things alone. It's a damn shame.
I wish they had never done this story line and left things alone. It's a damn shame.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
