Sometimes in fiction, it's very interesting to look at the good side of fundamentally bad charaters or the bad side of good characters. Can you think of cases where one of the "evil" characters, e.g. Eddie, Judy, maybe Lumpy do something nice, or even give advice that turns out to be correct? One often mentioned example is the episode where Beaver ruins Wally's suit and Eddie persuades Wally to wear something else before he notices it. When it happened, did the character have an ulterior motive, or was it really a rare moment of good will?

Brandon,

As I recall that episode, I believe it was a moment of good will on Eddie's behalf.

Originally posted by WardOleMan
Brandon,

As I recall that episode, I believe it was a moment of good will on Eddie's behalf.
Yes, I remember it the same way. I'm looking for other examples of Eddie, Judy, Lumpy, or a character like that, doing something nice or, at least giving someone some advice that worked out.

One often mentioned example is the episode where Beaver ruins Wally's suit and Eddie persuades Wally to wear something else before he notices it. When it happened, did the character have an ulterior motive, or was it really a rare moment of good will?

As I recall that episode, I believe it was a moment of good will on Eddie's behalf.

Yes, I remember it the same way.


So do I. In fact, I caught that episode not too many weeks ago. I remember Eddie being affected by the fact that the Beaver was absolutely terrified of the consequences once Wally discovered his suit was ruined.

But even more telling is the conversation the Beaver has with his father afterward.

Beav remarks something to the effect of: "Boy, what 'til I tell everyone that Eddie did something nice!"

Ward points out to his son that Eddie is the kind of boy who would be happier if the word of him doing something decent never got out. As the Beaver struggles to understand, his father explains that it is part of Eddie's character to never let people know he does nice things and that image, strange as it might seem, means everything to him.

This scene adds dimension to both Eddie and Ward. We see that Eddie, for all of his callowness, is not without heart. There is also the hint of the loneliness Eddie feels and his lack of self-esteem in that he believes the only way he can be noticed is by being a rat.

We also get another glimpse into Ward's deep understanding of human nature. One suspects that he knew more than a few Eddies when he was a boy.

That's what I like about this show. Nobody is written in black and white, but in different shades of gray, just like in real life. Not even Ward and June are perfect.