Revealing mistake: When John Boy goes out of the kitchen angrily, the view of the back is different than what it actually is. From the kitchen, there appears to be the mountain and trees, but when John Boy is outside leaving the kitchen, we know the barn is what we should see from the back door/window.
Factual error: When Mary Ellen brings G.W. into the woods to practice dancing together, she opens up a magazine and shows him a movie still of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The problem is the photo is a still from Fred and Ginger's dance in the movie "Swing Time" (at 00:28:00 within that movie) which premiered August 1936 (and was filmed that year), but this episode takes place more than two years prior, in early 1934. (00:59:20)
Continuity mistake: When Olivia asks John to go with them to Sunday services, in the wideshots Erin is sitting on the arm chair and Jim-Bob is rocking away in the rocking chair, but in the few shots facing John or Zeb we see the rocking chair and arm chair are empty. (00:04:10)
Visible crew/equipment: When the Baldwin sisters drive up to the Walton house with a gift, the reflections of location lighting and a few crew members are visible on their car's windows. (01:07:40)
Factual error: After Olivia realises she has polio, when John goes downstairs the radio is on and we hear an excerpt from President Roosevelt's fireside chat about upcoming Labor Day. The problem is this aired on the radio right before Labor Day in 1936, but Olivia contracts polio very early 1934. (00:22:35)
Continuity mistake: The Baldwin sisters buy Olivia a wooden wheelchair, and when Zeb brings it into the bedroom the camera tilts downward and we see Zeb's legs behind the chair. Later, after Mary Ellen and G.W. dance for Olivia it cuts to a closeup of the wheelchair, but it's actually the earlier shot because we still see Zeb's legs and he's not even in the room. (01:09:10 - 01:14:20)
Visible crew/equipment: While Mary Ellen walks home with G.W. after the Sunday services they're alone, and when G.W. tells her, "People learn how to dance," right at the start of the next shot we can see the blue shirt of a crew member at the lower left side of the screen. (00:08:30)
Factual error: When Olivia gets polio, she is at home. John is allowed to stay with her 24/7. It seems unlikely that the doctor, even if not taken to hospital, would allow John to stay in the room and risk contamination.
Factual error: When John-Boy and Jason walk into the theater, there's a poster for the movie Breakthrough, released in 1950, which is about the Battle of Normandy that didn't even happen until Summer 1942. This episode was set in early 1934. (00:50:55)
