MovieChat Forums > The Waltons (1972) Discussion > Esther's character too nasty

Esther's character too nasty

posted 9 years ago by landrew120880
15 replies | jump to latest

There's an episode in season 8 called "The Inspiration" that Ralph Waite directed when Esther comes back to "inspire" one of the Baldwin sisters to get cataract surgery.
I know the show intimately and of course Esther's character is "feisty" as some call it. In my younger years I found Esther to be endearing and funny. Now that I'm 50, her behavior in this episode is outright cruel.
I'm referring to her reaction to Rose in this episode. What an ugly scene when Esther arrives and greets the family and her smile quickly disappears when she sees Rose. Why pick on Rose?! She's such a sweetheart and fans can say what they want, but Grandma is a nasty piece of work for making Rose feel even worse about her situation. Maybe it's the poor script, but that kind of nastiness is not feisty. It's ugly and very far from the welcoming Christian behavior one would expect.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

i never thought she was nasty. A bit tart and short tempered at times, but quite kind really. if she'd just been sweet she'd have been bland and dull.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

I'm just watching The carnival, where grandma doesn't want to take the children's money to get her glasses fixed. seems jolly decent to me. And in my favourite episode, the Typewriter, she tells John Boy about all the stories she knows that she will tell him. She is a very nice person i think. Moreover, in the carnival, Olivia seems to be the really grumpy one.

[–] Dottiegrl 8 years ago

I've always loved Grandma Walton. Not all grandmothers are sweet and loving. My own grandmother was a very firm stern woman. She baked and knitted like a typical grandmother you see on tv but that was where the similarities ended. She believed in hard work no matter what day of the week it was. You got up with the sun and went to bed with the sun. She was not one for laying around or whining either. If I skinned my knee I was to go wash my face, tend to my knee and keep going. She often quoted Bible verses if you didn't do as she said. She made it clear we were not to go against the good book. She taught me a lot of good things about life with her stern ways & I miss her. I don't know if she'd be disappointed that I'm the opposite with my own grandchildren but I am.

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