Rod Peterson Movies

The ninth and final season of Falcon Crest marks another hasty exit of a longtime series regular, as Maggie Channing (Susan Sullivan), widow of vintner Chase Gioberti and later the wife of ruthless newspaperman Richard Channing (David Selby), drowns in her family's swimming pool. If this wasn't bad enough news for Richard as he is released from prison, Richard must also contend with homicidal financier Michael Sharpe (Gregory Harrison), who has gained control of Falcon Crest and claimed Richard's two sons as his own. In league with his partner in crime Genele Ericson (Andrea Thompson), Michael also plays sinister minds games with his own sister Lauren (Wendy Phillips), and with his own son Danny (David Sheinkopf)--who, in time-honored Falcon Crest fashion, is revealed to actually be Richard's son! Meanwhile, Emma Channing (Margaret Ladd), daughter of Richard's longtime bete noire (and mother!) Angela Channing (Jane Wyman), becomes the wife of one Charley St. James (Mark Lindsay Chapman), a certifiable nutcase with an equally deranged brother named Ian. In concert, the St. James boys not only lay waste to Falcon Crest, but also assault Angela and send her into a coma, capping their deviltry by scheming to bump off their own wives. No sooner have Charley and Ian exited the scene than Angela awakens, picking up precisely where she left off. In the series' now-notorious finale, the entire cast is seized by a sudden epiphany, represented by a Light From Above, whereupon all the bad characters turn "good" literally overnight--and of course, everyone lives happily ever after! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Falcon Crest enters its seventh season minus longtime series regular Robert Foxworth, whose character, Chase Gioberti, had perished while saving his infant son from the sinister machinations of a crooked private eye. As a result, Chase's aunt and reluctant business partner Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) regains her late nephew's share of the prosperous Falcon Crest winery. Meanwhile, ruthless newspaper publisher Richard Channing (David Selby), previously assumed to be the illegitimate son of Angela's ex-husband Douglas but now revealed as Angela's biological son, enters into yet another unholy business arrangement with the Underworld, this time represented by "The Thirteen", a covert organization, headed by a man named Rosemont (Roscoe Lee Browne), which seeks to ruin the world's economy for its own profit. This does not rest well with Richard's new wife, Chase's widow Maggie (Susan Sullivan), who has every reason to suspect that Richard's new business associates are up to no good. And in a separate development, having rejoined the cast of Falcon Crest after a three-year absence during the previous season, Chase and Maggie's troubled daughter Victoria (Jamie Rose) is promptly kidnapped by an Eastern European white slavery ring. Elsewhere, in her ongoing efforts to obtain Richard's share of Falcon Crest, Angela tries to persuade her prodigal nephew Lance (Lorenzo Lamas) to return home, but Lance wants no part of either Angela or his ex-wife Melissa (Ana Alicia), who has by now aligned herself with Dan Fixx (Brett Cullen), Lance's would-be successor as heir to the Channing millions. Meanwhile, Angela conspires with a movie special-effects artist to rid herself of Melissa by convincing the girl that her house is haunted! Perhaps as a form of divine punishment for this and her many other misdeeds, Angela must resign herself to the fact that her daughter Emma (Margaret Ladd) is currently running a call-girl business, and intends to make a movie about her new career. As the season rushes to its cliffhanger finale, Richard virtually signs his own death warrant by offering to testify against "The Thirteen" before the senate, striking a deal with his would-be assassin to sacrifice his life in exchange for the safety of Angela and her family. And after Melissa digs up hitherto unknown legal papers proving that she and she alone owns Falcon Crest, Angela is tossed out on the street! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Five of Falcon Crest finds ruthless winery owner Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) once again under siege, this time from Cassandra Wilder (Anne Archer), who intends to destroy Angela and her business to avenge past wrongs committed by Angela against the Wilder family. Facing financial ruin, Angela summons her old flame Peter Stavros (Cesar Romero) to help her get back on her feet. Peter has no sooner gotten to work than he is abducted by his own daughter Sofia (Julie Carmen), who wants to get her hands on the Channing fortue herself. Eventually, Angela marries Peter--but only to prevent him from assuming full control of her beloved Falcon Crest (and to keep an eye on Peter's son Eric [John Callahan], who may have his own avaricious agenda). Meanwhile, newspaper owner Richard Channing (Doug Selby), the illegitimate son of Angela's late husband Douglas, continues to build up his financial nest eggs by skimming profits from the Tuscany Downs Racetrack that he'd constructed a few seasons earlier in order to spite Angela (and which involved him up to his neck with the sinister "Cartel"). Figuring out what Richard is up to, Terry Hartford (Laura Johnson), the ex-prostitute sister-in-law of Richard's longtime nemesis (and half-brother) Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth), blackmails Channing into marriage. And speaking of prostitutes, Season Five brings forth a fascinating new recurring character: Richard's female attorney Jordan Roberts (Morgan Fairchild, a schizophrenic who transforms into a hooker named "Monica" on a nightly basis! Elsewhere, Chase's wife Maggie (Susan Sullivan), exercising the prerogative of many a previous soap-opera heroine, suddenly develops amnesia, and while in this state pens a "roman a clef" about the people she knows. When the book is accepted for publication, Maggie is introduced to literary publicist Jeff Wainwright (Edward Albert)--who spends the rest of the season obsessively stalking her. Also, in their efforts to have another baby, Chase and Maggie's son Cole (William R. Moses) and his wife Melissa (Ana Alicia) engage the services of Melissa's sister Robin (Barbara Howard) as surrogate mother; going far beyond the requirements of her job, Robin sleeps with Cole, then insists upon keeping the baby. And in other developments, Melissa's ex-husband Lance (Lorenzo Lamas) falls for pop singer Apollonia (played by Patricia Kotero, who actually adopted "Apollonia" as a stage name), a fact that disgusts his grandmother Angela only slightly less than the romance between Angela's daughter Emma (Margaret Ladd) and ambitious truck driver Dwayne Cooley (Daniel Greene). In the season's traditional cliffhanger finale, all of the Tuscany Valley and the people therein--including the entire Knots Landing cast--is imperiled by a devastating earthquake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Two of Falcon Crest ended as Julia Cumson (Abby Dalton), the demented sister of ruthless Tuscany Valley winery owner Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) and the mother of Angela's playboy grandson Lance (Lorenzo Lamas), revealed herself to be the murderer of Lance's father-in-law Carlo Agretti--and in the process, gunned down Angela's nephew and chief nemesis Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth), as well as Chase's mother Jacqueline. Though Chase recovers from his wounds, Jacqueline dies and Julia is carted off first to prison and then a mental insistution--but not before Carlo's daughter Melissa (Ana Alicia) and Chase's half-brother Richard (David Selby) try to manipulate poor Julia into destroying Angela's reputation in the courtroom. As Chase is nursed back to health by Jacqueline's nephew Dr. Michael Ransom (Cliff Robertson), Angela tries to take advantage of the situation by having Chase declared mentally incompetent so she can gain full control of the Falcon Crest winery. To this end, she enlist the aid of an unscrupulous physician named Dr. Lantry (Ron Rifkin)--who, own his own, schemes to kill Chase so that he can blackmail Angela. Once Lantry commits suicide, Angela is off the hook, while Dr. Ransom, exercising his power as executor of Jacqueline's will, keeps the ruthless Richard in line by stipulating that Chase will give Richard half of Jacqueline's fortune only if Chase regards his half-brother as being totally trustworthy! Elsewhere, Lance tries to return to his wife Melissa, who refuses to have anything to do with him, holding him responsible for her father's death and their son Joseph's fragile medical condition. Actually, Joseph is not Lance's son, but instead the offspring of Chase Roberti's son Cole (William R. Moses), who after his affair with Melissa entered into marriage with Linda Caproni (Mary Kate McGheehan), the daughter of an immigrant's-rights activist who has long despised Angela and her family. Meanwhile, Chase's wife Maggie (Susan Sullivan) has an awkward reunion with her sister Terry Hartford (Laura Johnson), an unregenerate prostitute who hopes to claim her share of Maggie's newfound wealth; before long, Terry has not only wormed her way into the Gioberti household, but she is also making the moves on the virtuous Dr. Ransom. Angela decides to use Terry's sordid history as leverage against Cole when the latter tries to gain custody of baby Joseph. As it turns out, Melissa is more than willing to relinquish Joseph to Angela's custody in exchange for a piece of Falcon Crest--a bit of chicanery that drives Lance to near-madness! Near the end of the season, the "Cartel" story arc that will dominate Season Four is introduced, as Richard enters into an extremely shady series of business transactions in order to build a racetrack on Angela's land. Also, Chase enters into a battle with Richard to save the local wineries; articles published in Richard's newspaper expose the connection between the dreaded Cartel and the late Jacqueline; Maggie develops a brain tumor; and a scheme is hatched to assassinate Richard at the opening of his racetrack. In the cliffhanger finale, Julia escapes from the institution, taking baby Joseph hostage; Angela is poised to enter into a marriage of convenience with her unscrupulous lawyer Phillip Erikson (Mel Ferrer); and several of the principal characters face extermination in an "accidental" plane crash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Angela Channing (Jane Wyman), the formidable and much-feared owner of Napa Valley's Falcon Crest winery; and Angela's nephew Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth), the son of her late brother Jason, from whom he has inherited 50 acres of Channing property. Arriving in California to assume control of his land--and to rescue the Tuscany Valley from the iron grip of Angela, who controls the local water rights--Chase brings along his wife Maggie (Susan Sullivan) and his children Cole (William R. Moses) and Victoria (Jamie Rose). With gimlet-eyed determination, Angela begins formulating plans to chase Chase all the way back to New York, using every trick in the book up to and including pitting young Cole against her father. She also relies upon the legal chicanery at the disposal of her somewhat less than ethical attorney, Phillip Erikson (Mel Ferrer) All that is holding Angela back from declaring all out war on Chase is the fact that she has innumerable skeletons in her closet, beginning with the complicity of her own daughter Emma (Margaret Ladd) in Jason's "accidental" death. Meanwhile, Angela's indolent playboy grandson Lance (Lorenzo Lamas), eager to prove his worth to the Channing family by going after Chase himself, succeeds in only pulling off stupid stunts like sabotaging the Gioberti pump house. In the course of events during the first season, Victoria Gioberti falls in love with ranchhand Mario (Mario Marcellino), incurring the wrath of her parents in the process. Rebelling against her mom and dad, Victoria runs off to the streets of San Francisco, where the sharkish Lance introduces her to a producer of porno films. Later on, Lance lands a job at the "San Francisco Globe", a newspaper managed by Angela's ex-husband Douglas (David Selby). In this capacity, Lance enters into a relationship with Melissa Agretti (Ana Alicia), a romance engineered by Angela in hopes of gaining control of the competing Agretti winery. Though Melissa and Lance can't stand each other (he's still messing around with former girlfriend Lori Chapman, played this season by Cindy Morgan), she accepts his proposal, pursuing a hidden agenda of her own. When word comes that Melissa is pregnant, Angela assumes that Lance is the father--but he isn't. Meanwhile, Lance's father Tony Cumson (John Saxon), who deserted both his son and his wife (and Angela's sister) Julia (Abby Dalton) years earlier, adds to the existing aura of tension and hostility by suddenly resurfacing. Also working at the "Globe" is Chase's wife Maggie, who begins digging into the mystery of Jason Channing's death at the behest of her boss, Douglas Channing (Stephen Elliott)_. Just before the coroner's inquest, Douglas himself dies, while the only other person who may hold the key to the mystery, Angela's daughter Emma, is kept under sedation and out of the jury's reach. During all this intrigue, Lana Turner is introduced as Chase's mother Jacqueline Perrault, who seems to have all the "dirt" on Angela and her questionable business practices. As the season ends, the findings of the inquest result in Chase gaining control of Falcon Crest, though he generously (and to his later regret) allows Angela to retain ownership of half of the business; and upon the death of his father, Douglas Channing's illegitimate son Richard (David Selby) takes over the "Globe" lock, stock, and scandal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of The Waltons' two-part Season Nine opener, John Walton (Ralph Waite) faces a long jail term for helping to conceal murder suspect Harley Foster (Hal Williams) from the authorities. Despite his own dilemma, John is determined to prove that Harley is an innocent victim of racial prejudice. Meanwhile, the budding romance between John's daughter Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) and Drew Cutler (Tony Becker) hits a snag when she begins neglecting him to spend more time her horse Molly. And in faraway Paris, the girlfriend of Jason Walton (Jon Walmsley) helps him locate his war-correspondent brother John-Boy (Robert Wightman). The episode closes with a stunning national tragedy which has a profound impact on the people of Walton's Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of The Waltons' two-part season eight opener (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), newlyweds Ben (Eric Scott) and Cindy (new series regular Leslie Winston) nearly buckle under the pressure to start a family of their own; Erin (Mary McDonough) bristles at the condescending attitude of her boss J.D. Pickett (Lewis Arquette); and Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) has mixed feelings about the budding romance between her brother Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) and her best friend Aimee (Rachel Longaker). On a more serious note, local draft-board officer John Walton (Ralph Waite) has been threatened with dire consequences by Calvin Satterfield (George DiCenzo), who holds John responsible for the combat death of his son Tommy. The episode ends with more bad news from the battlefields of Europe -- and this time the topic of conversation is John's own son John-Boy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John (Ralph Waite) discovers that the new owner of the Dew Drop Inn is his former sweetheart Callie May Jordan (Dorothy Tristan). Once everyone else finds this out, they begin to worry that John might "forget himself" with Callie May in the absence of his wife Olivia -- which, as it turns out, is just what Callie May is hoping for. Despite his preoccupation with converting his pool emporium into a canteen for soldiers, Ike Godsey (Joe Conley) takes it upon himself to explain the facts of life (so to speak) to the amorous Callie May. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This final episode of The Waltons' sixth season marks the return of series regular Ellen Corby, appearing as Grandma Walton for the first time since suffering a stroke in 1977. Back at home after a long hospital stay, Grandma is still unable to speak and is very limited in her movements. She's also quite peeved over the fact that the family won't allow her to even try to recover on her own, and insists upon waiting on her hand and foot. Meanwhile, young Elizabeth Walton (Kami Cotler) discovers she has an admirer in the form of her shy, chubby classmate Clarence (Kenny Marquis). The episode's closing line is one of the truly classic moments in TV history. Ironically, "Grandma Comes Home" also represents the final appearance of Will Geer as Grandpa Walton; Geer died shortly after filming completed, in the summer of 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With their 25th wedding anniversary approaching, Olivia (Michael Learned) and John (Ralph Waite) do their best to keep secret the presents they have bought one another. Likewise opting for secrecy are the Walton kids, who are planning a surprise party; unfortuntely, Jim-Bob's idea of a "surprise" causes nothing but trouble. Meanwhile, Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) and Curt (Tom Bower) are encountering great difficulty carrying on a long-distance marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Just as he is about to accept a writing assignment in war-torn London, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) proposes to his erstwhile girlfriend Daisy (Deirdre Lenihan). It turns out, however, that Daisy has neglected to tell John-Boy a few things about herself--specifically, that she is the mother of a three-year-old girl. Elsewhere, Grandpa (Will Geer) tries to improve sales of Elizabeth's lemonade by adding a few drops of a special--er--recipe. This episode marks the final appearance of Richard Thomas on The Waltons, though he would later return as John-Boy in a "reunion" special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Laboring under the misapprehension that he will be able to bring Grandma home from the hospital, Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) is rudely rebuffed by the medical staff. Not surprisingly, the old man raises a ruckus--and as result is barred from any further hospital visits. Elsewhere, high-and-mighty Corabeth Godsey (Ronnie Claire Edwards) is upset that her adopted daughter Aimee (Rachel Longaker) is playing with Elizabeth Walton (Kami Cotler), whom Corabeth considers a bad influence! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When the Army holds maneuvers on Walton's Mountain, Olivia (Michael Learned) worries that the War is drawing ever closer to home. She decides to paint landscape portraits of several local landmarks, on the chance that they will be destroyed in the months to come--beginning with Drucilla's Pond, which may be irrevocably polluted by the Army's wasted ammunition rounds. The story takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious art patron purchases Olivia's paintings for a sizeable sum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide