The only time he expressed decent insight was while he was was talking with the family during dinner time and in the kitchen for clean-up: expressing his desire not to be a big shot and just muddle along, in the face of Ward's urging him to assert himself. Note to Ward: STFU. Let Beaver find his own way for now and stop trying to have him vicariously follow in your footsteps. As it was, Beaver's own sheltering induced immaturity, coupled with him being pushed to be a "big shot" resulted in him being a slap-able little snot as a fire chief.

Another rant-ty observation. I notice that in this episode and a number of others that begin, or almost begin with a classroom scene, and it's always the same thing:

- Teacher announces to class about some project or undertaking, assignment...whatever

- A student asks stupid question

- Another student makes cutting remark toward asker of stupid question.

- Titters from class

- Another student chimes in with another stupid remark referencing stupid remark of previous stupid remarker. More titters.

- Teacher establishes order.

Overused filler scenes that make me groan annoyingly and roll my eyes. Next time I see a classroom scene as an episode starter, I'm fast-forwarding that sucker.

That was hilarious to say the least. Everything true especially slap-able little snot.

Opening the episode with Miss Landers in the classroom does indeed mean she will assign a project, read a book, make an announcement or whatever and then the silly questions. What comes to mind in addition to the junior fire chief is:

Reading a book for a book report like Ivanhoe
The father child picnic
Riding the bus
Writing about My Most Interesting Character
Colonial Project
Mother’s Day Composition
Suggesting ideas for a project
To name a few.

Thanks 'Scrabjan1'. Great job enumerating those episodes containing the classroom "filler chatter" described above.

Thing is, there are many good scenes on LITB that take place in a classroom, but at least the dialogue either advances the plot(s) or makes us laugh.

I got to thinking now: I don't recall any of the stupid classroom scenes with Miss Canfield as the Teacher. It seemed to be with Miss Landers, but there was one such scene with Mrs Rayburn subbing for Ms Landers. Maybe because the latter was dealing with the onset of COPD: I understand Sue Randall smoked more than a factory chimney during industrial revolution England.

I wonder if the director often said ‘Sue we need you now put out the smoke.’ you can always tell an avid smoker as they smell like an ashtray. Everyone smoked back then. If you have the DVD of LITB check out the scene in Wally and Dudley. Wally is talking to Ward in the den about Dudley and you can see a long stream of smoke curling through the scene. MeTV cuts it out.

Hey Miss Landers might have been hanging around that day. Probably the director.

I wonder if the director often said ‘Sue we need you now put out the smoke.’ you can always tell an avid smoker as they smell like an ashtray. Everyone smoked back then. If you have the DVD of LITB check out the scene in Wally and Dudley. Wally is talking to Ward in the den about Dudley and you can see a long stream of smoke curling through the scene. MeTV cuts it out.

Hey Miss Landers might have been hanging around that day. Probably the director.

Wow, that's interesting!

I love the stuff I learn here.

That smoke scene is so obvious. MeTV sort of starts the scene after the smoke has disappeared, and doesn’t show the entire dialogue between Wally and Ward. I’m sure it’s there on the DVD. It starts from the lower right hand corner and goes up across the bookcase. Can you imagine now someone lighting up on a sound stage.

Someone would need to go to their safe space.