The Yearning

The episode "The Changeling" six episodes before this one was supposedly about Elizabeth struggling with growing up, but it was so ridiculously written and acted, that they should have just not made the episode at all. This episode, "The Yearning" was a MUCH better story of a young girl learning that she is becoming a woman and struggling with how to go about it. It was a little sappy at times, but a 13-year-old's first love is generally a pretty sappy time in the kid's life, so it worked. It was handled with such empathy and delicacy, both by the characters and the actors. It reminded me so much of when I was at 13 and my first love didn't love me back, and I was as heartbroken as Elizabeth, but now, it has been long enough that I can sympathize more with John and remember the pain in a much duller, sweeter fashion.

As with other episodes, this is constructed with two parallel story lines, both based on love. The first is 13 year-old Elizabeth's infatuation with the new minister, the second Miss Emily's on-going love for Ashley. The twist is that, in the former, the love is lost, due to the obvious age difference. In the latter, the love is found, through the discovery of a letter and symbol of Ashley's love for her. Really very well done all around, with an especially good job by Elizabeth's character. There is also a marked juxtaposition of the actions of Miss Emily's father in the past, with that of Elizabeth's.

In answer to the question of the piece Jason played during the daughter-father dance, it's a waltz by Chopin.

The Yearning is one of those Waltons episodes that kind of just sits there. Rabid fans like myself love the characters and the development of life on Waltons Mountain, but sometimes the episodes are less than great-not often, but it happens. In this episode, 13-year-old Elizabeth gets a crush on a young minister. I guess they were going for a bit of comic relief with the skunk-in-the-parsonage storyline, but it was only mildly amusing. The sub-plot involving Erin and the Baldwin ladies was a little better. The redeeming part of this episode was at the end, where Miss Emily discovers an unexpected treasure, and Daddy & Elizabeth have a wonderful moment. All in all, a watchable episode, but not really one of the better ones.