Michael Realized left The Waltons in 1979 after eight seasons, however the alternative wasn’t so simple as stepping away from a job; it meant strolling away from a household she had constructed on set and a job that had already earned her three Emmy Awards. Like her castmate Richard Thomas, who left after 5 seasons to pursue different alternatives, Realized’s exit left a noticeable gap within the collection. However a mixture of exhaustion and need for brand new challenges made Realized determine it was time to go away the mountain.