- John-Boy and his family prepare for John Sr.'s homecoming to spend Christmas together, but after a storm blows in, John-Boy must find his father, and the journey through it will change his life forever.
- John-Boy as an adult occasionally narrates. He says that in 1933, his dream was to become a writer. His father John had to travel 90 miles to find work and he was away from Walton's Mountain, Virginia for weeks at a time, and he couldn't even get time off for Christmas.
The family is preparing for Christmas, hoping John can somehow make it home. Jim-Bob builds structures out of twigs and cotton balls. Erin reads magazines. Mary Ellen, who is a teenager, dreams of leaving this place and doing something more exciting. 17-year-old John-Boy writes about the family, but as he goes out to the barn to help Jason bring in wood, Jason criticizes John-Boy's dream. Jason says he had to give up his desire to be a musician because he needs to do something to make a living and help the family, and John-Boy will have to do the same.
John was able to get time off, so he is in line to get on a bus that will take him most of the way home. When he gets on the bus, there is a seat next to a Black man (probably Elmer, based on the credits). They find out they live relatively close to each other and spend a lot of time talking. The man works full-time as a farmer, but that is risky. John eventually believes that is what he must do to spend time with his family. Already, it looks like the weather will be bad, and the with the forecast on the radio, the announcer says it is better to stay inside on Christmas Eve.
Maggie the librarian visits, warning she will be leaving her job and her replacement will be more strict about late fees. She has a book for John-Boy that is hard to get. John-Boy hands her a copy of his writing that he wants her to deliver to a publisher. The girls later make fun of John-Boy for reading a racy story, and they already believe he likes Maggie.
Mary Ellen sneaks into John-Boy's room and finds his hiding place and reads his writing.
Olivia takes 5-year-old Elizabeth to Ike's store because she needs sugar to make a cake. Outside, she meets Rose, who is Black. They are good friends despite how things were back then, though Virginia is not that far south. Rose invites Olivia to church, knowing the church the Waltons go to is farther away and the weather will be bad. Olivia accepts. Elizabeth asks why they don't go to Calvary Bible Church all the time if it is closer, but Olivia will only say they go to First Baptist because they always have.
In the store, Charlie has challenged Ike to a game of pool that will take place that night. Charlie is there to buy ammunition, though hunting season is over. The sheriff comes to the store and explains that someone is poaching and he is going to find out who that is, even though the poacher generally gives away what he shoots, like Robin Hood. Elizabeth once again looks at the dolls, hoping Santa Claus will bring her one.
Back home, Olivia is working with John's mother in the kitchen to get everything ready for Christmas. Mary Ellen resents having to do "women's work", believing she should be able to help the boys. Later, when John-Boy and Grandpa go out in the woods to get a tree, Mary Ellen is allowed to go. While they are out in the woods, Grandpa tells the story of how Walton's Mountain became theirs. In the early 1700's, his grandfather (who would surely have been old when he became a father, as would Grandpa's father) saved the life of a Native American who was so grateful he told the Walton ancestor the land was his as long as he took care of it. Even as others around them sold land, the Waltons never did. Grandpa shows Mary Ellen and John-Boy the family cemetery. Mary Ellen is changing her mind about how much this place means, and she also tells John-Boy his writing is not silly and he needs to continue. The perfect tree is found and brought home and decorated, though the kids argue and fight while doing it.
Charlie arrives with a Christmas bird he shot, claiming it is a gift from God. Olivia is willing to accept under those circumstances. Otherwise, she would have had to kill a laying hen in order to have meat.
The weather is getting worse and Olivia is worried. Meanwhile, John's bus has to make a detour as the road is blocked by a vehicle that went off the road.
A missionary is giving out toys to the poor at Ike's. The kids want to go. Olivia says this family will not accept charity. Eventually, the kids say they just want to watch. So that's fine. John-Boy has saved money to buy Elizabeth a doll and that is what he does, giving a gift to the missionary in exchange for a doll. Despite the beautiful packaging, the doll is damaged and Elizabeth cries.
The radio announcer says a bus has wrecked on Highway 29 (which is where John's bus is) and a man is dead and others are injured. John-Boy volunteers to go find out if John is all right. Olivia gives him a dollar to give to Charlie to borrow his pickup, knowing Charlie would be at Ike's playing pool. However, that's not what happened. Charlie is in handcuffs and the sheriff is playing pool, and Charlie's pickup contains evidence. The Baldwin sisters arrive with "Father's Recipe", reminding the sheriff it's legal now, and exchange it for what they need. John-Boy asks to borrow the sisters' truck, and they agree.
When John-Boy arrives where the bus wrecked, a police officer will not allow him through. John-Boy prays, telling God he will give us his dream to write. John eventually appears, his ankle sprained, helping another police officer carry the Black man up the hill from the bus. John gets in the pickup with John-Boy and they prepare to head home. John has a package he wants to take to the house, and then they will go to Calvary Church.
Meanwhile, the family gets dressed and go to Calvary, and the all-Black congregation welcome them. Rev. Dooly is very enthusiastic in welcoming the guests and he preaches about love. Sister Harriet and Brother William sing "Silent Night". John and John-Boy arrive.
After the service, the entire Walton family goes home in the Baldwin sisters' pickup. What is that package on the porch? It must be from Santa Claus! The kids all go inside and open their presents. Elizabeth gets a nice doll. John-Boy gets a new writing pad. Later, Olivia asks what they will live on because John must have spent his entire paycheck. John says "Love." John has also said he will farm full-time.
Adult John-Boy says he went on to write, Mary Ellen became the first female Postal Service pilot, Jason became a Nashville bluegrass producer, Erin became a casting director in Hollywood, Jim-Bob became an architecture professor, and Elizabeth raised a family on Walton's Mountain.
In the present, Toby and his great-grandmother Elizabeth visit the family cemetery, particularly John-Boy's grave, which identifies him as "J.B. Walton 1916-1992".
In the family home, the kids all say good night.
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By what name was The Waltons: Homecoming (2021) officially released in India in English?
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