This was the last episode of season 5.

Bud graduating from high school and Jim's speech about it being "not the end, but only the beginning" gave it a very series finale vibe. There was finality but also hope for the future. It just seemed like the perfect sentimental farewell for this show.

The actual series finale from the following year touched a little bit on the same topic when Kathy finishes 8th grade but most of it was an extended flashback from season 2. It wasn't nearly as good as "The Gold Turnip" IMO.

It's possible that was the plan. That scene really made the episode, and IMO it's the best episode of the series. Bill Gray could really produce tears!

FKB was having great ratings by this season (#14 for the 5th season, and #6 for the final season) and it's possible CBS talked RY into doing season 6. Then when Young pulled the plug at the end of the 6th season, CBS (2 seasons) and ABC (1 season) continued with primetime repeats until 1963. Then it continued on ABC in daytime repeats for several years.

I think you're right about it being the original plan. I remember reading an interview from Jane Wyatt saying she expected FKB to end after five seasons but one of the producers or maybe Robert Young decided they should come back for one more year.

Also agree about it being one of the best episodes. It was very poignant and thoughtful.

The photography and set design on FKB was quite good. In this episode, Bud is listening at the top of the stairs as Jim and Margaret were discussing graduations being for the parents, and before that as Jim was talking to Claude's father at the door, about the same thing. The upstairs landing was such that it seemed like there really was a 2nd story landing, and he was up there listening to them in the living room. I think it's because, in the set design of the "upstairs" landing, they show the stairs coming into it. You don't often see that on set designs.