We've hashed this episode out on the TVLAND board a number of times, but thought that since the episode recently aired over there, that I would raise the question on this board. Who besides me never liked this, the last episode of the series?

I always thought it was silly that the family would be gathered around looking at photographs that were merely just scenes from various episodes of the show---scenes in which there was NOBODY present taking pictures in the first place. Lol!

The best one which comes to mind is the one in which Wally is shown shaving. Now the last thing Ward or June would have done would have been to take a picture of Wally about to shave. Remember how angry Ward was with Wally?

It's certainly not my favorite episode either, boomer. However, I feel they did a good job of hitting many of the highlights of the show.

And of course, the only way they could "look back" without saying it was a TV show, was by pretending to look at photos.

Yeah, I guess you're right in that they did do a pretty go job at hitting some of the more memorable moments, sans whatever they cut to fit in commercials. Lol!

It just cracks me up whenever they reminisce about Wally shaving, and show that "photo" from the episode, because Ward was about as mad as he could be in that episode! LOL!!

It's too bad real life isn't that way! Wouldn't it be something to have photos of all our highs and lows from growing up? Of course, there are probably some things we would rather forget! :D

Well, if they had wanted to be more "realistic", they could have certainly shown flashbacks in a different way, such as reminiscing and then flashing to a scene (That's how most sitcoms do it). On the other hand, I don't think it was supposed to be the most "realistic" episode of LITB. It was the final one and was just a sort of "curtain call" for the whole series.

You hit the nail on the head, GeeBee. This episode would have worked better if the Cleavers did a little reminiscing about those same situations, and then do a flashback to that scene in the episode. Oh, well, what can I say. Little things like this bother me. Lol!

I know LITB was just too light of a comedy to have done it this way, but some shows have their series finale with some type of tragedy happening to one of the main characters. If Beaver had done it this way, perhaps Ward could have been in an accident, and the rest of the family rushes to the hospital, waiting for a word about his condition, then reminiscing about his lectures and philosophy and changes of mind, with flashbacks. Then near the end they find out he is going to be alright and they go in to see him, he's smiling and laughing, and the end arrives saying something like "the future is going to be as interesting as the past."

But anyway, as they did end the series with the Family Scrapbook idea, I think the most intriguing of the 'pictures' in the scrapbook is Wally and Beaver by the bathtub, trying to make it appear they took baths, while talking about the note from Beaver's teacher he is so worried about. Perhaps someone could have actually been there to photograph Wally shaving, but kneeling over the bathtub? If Ward or June had been there taking a bath-- with a camera-- the boys wouldn't have been talking about the note... probably wouldn't have been there at all :lol: .

To me it seemed like this episode was sort of thrown together pretty fast without much thought. I don't know how long they knew LITB was going off the air but I agree that it needed a much better send-off.

I actually think it was a perfect sendoff and in keeping with the very low key tone of the show. First of all, series finales weren't done back then so this was really breaking new ground in that area. It was an attempt to wrap up the series. If you think about it,the point that was made in that show was that the boys had grown up, that they were almost men. That point was very nicely made at the end when they show the boys playing with the little monkey toy. The whole series was about Wally and Beav growing up and they had and i think it was a nice note to end it on.

As to the believability of the camera being there for everything, we know it wasn't there, that it was a tv device. I don't think it was too intrusive and i think, sure, they could have done it as a flashback, but they chose this instead. Much more in keeping with the Cleavers!

Originally posted by GidgetCleaver
To me it seemed like this episode was sort of thrown together pretty fast without much thought. I don't know how long they knew LITB was going off the air but I agree that it needed a much better send-off. I agree the last episode was thrown together. As great as the show was they should of had a better final episode.