I've read in a lot of reviews of Season 4 that the pilot "The Chinese Girl" was where the series changed course. Dennis has shed his overalls, he was interested in a girl and of course John and Eloise take over at 625 Elm Street.
But I just finished watching the Season 3 finale "Dennis and the Witch Doctor," and it seems to me that's where the series really decided to go in another direction.
It's impossible to overlook the very blatant message of tolerance preached throughout the episode, especially at the end, where John addresses how misunderstandings turn "neighbor against neighbor and people against people." I don't remember the series ever making a social commentary like that in an earlier episode, and for the time this aired — July 1, 1962 — it seems rather topical since a lot of attitudes were beginning to change.
On lighter notes, this was the first episode since the first season that George and Martha were out of the picture entirely except for a scant mention here and there. John acted like he planned to stay a while. Someone who saw this episode independent of all those before it would never know George and Martha still owned the house.
Other than those mentions of George and Martha and the fact that Dennis still wore overalls, it doesn't even belong in Season 3. But it doesn't quite belong in Season 4, either. It was a well-done transitional episode, IMO.

Anytime a show starts preaching it's far out liberal theories you know it's time to tune out. It's no longer interested in making a good show based on good stories and characters with a good moral thrown in. When it turns into a soap box for the liberals on the writing staff it's bye bye time.

Far out conservative propaganda hates TV executives having the freedom to make their own decisions. Tell us about Faux News and how people like you use the mindbending propaganda in all topics. Like almost all cons, when you don't get your way you talk smack.

My my, isn't it amazing the way far out libs always and I mean always wind up describing their own methods and evil ways at battling decent Americans by ascribing those very methods as being used by those on the sides of the angels. Put it simply for the everyday lib, they always point the finger at their opposite and accuse them of doing EXACTLY what they constantly are guilty of. It's amusing really, once you know a lib & I know them like the back of my own wonderful hand. ;)

Of course, they would never inject their liberal messages into a TV show or movie. Oh no, how could anyone dare think that of those sweet innocent libs.:rolleyes: Now pass me my barf bag.:barf:

Didn't intend for this to become a liberal/conservative thing (that "Faux News" crack, really original ...).
I more meant that this episode, and not the actual fourth-season pilot, was where the tone of the series changed considerably. Even if Joseph Kearns had lived, this probably was going to happen at some point if only for the simple reason that Dennis inevitably was getting older and the more nonsensical plots simply couldn't last forever. That, of course, assumes the series would have gone to a fourth season.

I know you didn't intend it to become a con-lib thing. But talk about amazing, its always the cons doing the finger pointing to anyone that goes against the Reich. Adding up the facts shows they barf on themselves..

Yeah right.:crazy: Huh? What planet are you from anyway?