AllMovie

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the family gathers together to welcome back John-Boy from the battlefield in Europe -- but John-Boy is still in a coma as a result of injuries sustained from a plane crash. As Olivia sits patiently at John-Boy's bedside, hoping to make some sort of contact with him, she becomes close to her son's hospital roommate Sam, a young double amputee who has no family to come home to (Morgan Stevens, later to join the cast as Erin Walton's fiancé Paul Northridge, is here seen as Sam). Meanwhile, the formidable Aunt Rose (Peggy Rea) takes it upon herself to prepare the family's Thanksgiving dinner. Robert Wightman takes over from Richard Thomas in the role of John-Boy Walton in this episode -- which, ironically, also marks the final series appearance of Michael Learned as Olivia.