At about this time, Ron Howard did this episode for "The Waltons", and another episode for "M*A*S*H". He was excellent in both. Part of his success then, as now, is that he can pick great material. "The Waltons" specialized in inspiring, heartwarming stories, and this was near the top in that category. The Grandfather gives Jason some wisdom that few people ever acquire, and Jason goes on to go on living, even bearing a terrible sense of loss and injustice. This episode was especially touching for me because I saw it while I was working on a Doctoral Dissertaion which I was to eventually dedicate to 3 cousins who died while young and full of promise.
3 Reviews
All about Friendship
garyldibert24 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
TITLE: THE GIFT ORIGINAL AIRDATE: January 24, 1974 STORY: Ray Goldup and Jack Hanrahan TELEPLAY: Carol Eva McKeand DIRECTOR: Ralph Senensky
PROLOGUE: "Living on Walton's Mountain we were always in touch with the motion of life. Growth and change, loss and gain, were natural and were expected. We saw the green leaves turn to gold and then fall to the ground, crumpled and Gray. However, all of us knew that when spring came again life would renew itself. But one summer we were faced with an unexpected kind of change that made us all wonder if the future was really a thing to look forward to."
SYNOPSIS: John-Boy, Jason and their friend Seth are fishing for dinner. Seth wants to make a recorder because he desires to learn every instrument possible. The family finishes eating a dinner of catfish with Seth and his mother for company. They gather around the radio to listen to Seth's father Red Turner perform at the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. He announces on the radio that he'll be home to see his family in 2 weeks. Early the next morning the boys head up the mountain to get an Apple tree branch to carve a recorder. Seth collapses from exhaustion and Dr. McIvors informs his mother Wilma that Seth has leukemia and is incurable. Jason takes the news very hard and initially blocks out his pain by aggressively strumming his guitar. Later he avoids having contact with Seth. John-Boy stops by Seth's house to return his recorder and carving tools after leaving them behind on the Walton's porch. Red returns home just as John-Boy is about to leave. He brings his son a 10-gallon hat and cowboy suit. The excitement of his arrival doesn't last long as Seth's condition becomes known. Red decides to take Seth and his wife touring on the road so that they can continue being a family together for Seth's remaining days. Jason continues to avoid Seth but John-Boy brings him the finished recorder and Grandpa gives Jason comfort and words of wisdom to cope with his feelings. Before Seth leaves Walton's Mountain, he reunites with Jason to teach him how to play the recorder.
EPILOGUE: "As time went on there were other occasions that necessitated our grieving, and I often think that this early brush with total loss made us better able to face those which were to come after."
MY THOUGHTS: This was another of those episodes that reminded me of home. My mom had leukemia but hers was treatable. My mom died four years ago of a brain tumor that she never woke up from surgery. I give this episode 7 weasel stars.
PROLOGUE: "Living on Walton's Mountain we were always in touch with the motion of life. Growth and change, loss and gain, were natural and were expected. We saw the green leaves turn to gold and then fall to the ground, crumpled and Gray. However, all of us knew that when spring came again life would renew itself. But one summer we were faced with an unexpected kind of change that made us all wonder if the future was really a thing to look forward to."
SYNOPSIS: John-Boy, Jason and their friend Seth are fishing for dinner. Seth wants to make a recorder because he desires to learn every instrument possible. The family finishes eating a dinner of catfish with Seth and his mother for company. They gather around the radio to listen to Seth's father Red Turner perform at the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. He announces on the radio that he'll be home to see his family in 2 weeks. Early the next morning the boys head up the mountain to get an Apple tree branch to carve a recorder. Seth collapses from exhaustion and Dr. McIvors informs his mother Wilma that Seth has leukemia and is incurable. Jason takes the news very hard and initially blocks out his pain by aggressively strumming his guitar. Later he avoids having contact with Seth. John-Boy stops by Seth's house to return his recorder and carving tools after leaving them behind on the Walton's porch. Red returns home just as John-Boy is about to leave. He brings his son a 10-gallon hat and cowboy suit. The excitement of his arrival doesn't last long as Seth's condition becomes known. Red decides to take Seth and his wife touring on the road so that they can continue being a family together for Seth's remaining days. Jason continues to avoid Seth but John-Boy brings him the finished recorder and Grandpa gives Jason comfort and words of wisdom to cope with his feelings. Before Seth leaves Walton's Mountain, he reunites with Jason to teach him how to play the recorder.
EPILOGUE: "As time went on there were other occasions that necessitated our grieving, and I often think that this early brush with total loss made us better able to face those which were to come after."
MY THOUGHTS: This was another of those episodes that reminded me of home. My mom had leukemia but hers was treatable. My mom died four years ago of a brain tumor that she never woke up from surgery. I give this episode 7 weasel stars.
This episode really
Skylightmovies16 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Irritated the 4£ (( out of me.
For all the hometown cooking and community assistance and Sunday church, we are treated to a depressing and hopeless tale of a dying teen who touches the life of Jason , the musical Walton.
Ritchie Cunningham, in a not so happy day, is here to visit us in the guise of Seth who is suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. This serves to ensure all youngsters who did not see O'Neal and Macgraw's Love Story, do not miss out in the knowledge that there is a life threatening youth killer that comes at kids in their bloom and dees Troyz.
Where they slipped up in the writing was leaving out the spiritual beliefs that the series is supposedly selling. Sure Grandpa sledgehammered home the emotional devastation of the loss of loved ones but with little comforting explanations for the souls that leave early. I thought eternal life with the Lord and passing through from this world to the next would've been a more appropriate message for the characters and the young audience , instead of oh well , another life snuffed out for no rhyme or reason.
Living on a farm in the country teaches one about birth and death and this life lesson was predictably omitted.
This was a Jason episode and he was given a chance to lead us into the required emotional suffering that the godless media inflict ad infinitum.
For all the hometown cooking and community assistance and Sunday church, we are treated to a depressing and hopeless tale of a dying teen who touches the life of Jason , the musical Walton.
Ritchie Cunningham, in a not so happy day, is here to visit us in the guise of Seth who is suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. This serves to ensure all youngsters who did not see O'Neal and Macgraw's Love Story, do not miss out in the knowledge that there is a life threatening youth killer that comes at kids in their bloom and dees Troyz.
Where they slipped up in the writing was leaving out the spiritual beliefs that the series is supposedly selling. Sure Grandpa sledgehammered home the emotional devastation of the loss of loved ones but with little comforting explanations for the souls that leave early. I thought eternal life with the Lord and passing through from this world to the next would've been a more appropriate message for the characters and the young audience , instead of oh well , another life snuffed out for no rhyme or reason.
Living on a farm in the country teaches one about birth and death and this life lesson was predictably omitted.
This was a Jason episode and he was given a chance to lead us into the required emotional suffering that the godless media inflict ad infinitum.
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