The Waltons: Complete Seventh Season DVD Review (2008)

Set mostly in Depression-era Virginia, this genial drama follows the Waltons through yet another season of hardships, the most notable of which is the fact that Will Greer (Grandpa) died during the hiatus between seasons six and seven.

Instead of offering a replacement, the show shrewdly begins with Grandpa quite dead and the Waltons grieving his loss.

With Richard Thomas’ John Boy also out of the picture (the actor had moved on), the show is left to grapple with other elements tugging at its plot strings, not the least of which is the bombing of Pearl Harbor, where Curt is stationed.

Troublesome tattoos, bouts of tuberculosis and time spent in sanitariums also spark the drama.

In the end, though, the show remains an acquired taste. It’s little more than an antiseptic balm of family highs and woes.

Grade: C