Did Beaver Act More Juvenile in Later Episodes?

[howilu]

Here's a question to reinvigorate board action. Did Beaver act more juvenile in the later episodes? There were two cases in point. One was the episode where Wally gave away Beaver's electric trains to Jimmy Batson's sister and Beaver locked himself in the bathroom after yelling at his brother "Rat! rat! rat!" The other was where he gave June the silent treatment after she made him go to the store when he wanted to mess around with Wally and Eddie.

[An 80s Guy]

no all that is definitly juvenile if you ask me

[Mrs. Ducky]

I think he was just at that moody teenage phase.

[frani]

Well, to tell you the truth, i think the later eps are really about Wally, anyway. Wally was clearly the "cute" teenager, and they really were going for the teen market in the last two seasons. Beav had really very little to do. All his little boy cuteness had been exploited and he was too young to date. Looking back now at Beav, he is a lot cuter than i used to think he was, and actually he had kind of an edge that girls like. He probably would have been more interesting than Wally, who was cute, but very vanilla.

[Mrs. Ducky]

Originally Posted by frani

Well, to tell you the truth, i think the later eps are really about Wally, anyway. Wally was clearly the "cute" teenager, and they really were going for the teen market in the last two seasons. Beav had really very little to do. All his little boy cuteness had been exploited and he was too young to date. Looking back now at Beav, he is a lot cuter than i used to think he was, and actually he had kind of an edge that girls like. He probably would have been more interesting than Wally, who was cute, but very vanilla.

Very true. I never found older Beaver "repulsive" like I've heard others describe him. It was just the fact that he had grown up and was too old to be a cute little kid.

[Tweety]

He did act more juvinile in the later episodes, basically because the writers kept making him act like a 7 or 8 year old...they never really let him grow up...the ultimate example of this is the "Beaver the Bunny" episode. Someone expect me to believe that kids that age will put on a "pageant" and dress up as flowers and bunnies? Puhhhleeeze!

When Mathers was 13 or 14, he was still talking like he did in the first couple of seasons. He even tried to do some of the same facial expressions as he did as a 'little kid', but they don't go over as well for a teen ager.

And, he was just as gullible in season 5 as he was in season 1...his friends were always able to goad him into doing something stupid, which is fine when you're 7, but not as funny or realistic when you're a teenager.

I still love the show though, and will definitely buy all the dvds when they come out...I think that the group of kids that appeared on this show were the absolute best group of child actors any tv show ever produced, with nothing even close to the natural talent of these kids..

[Jack1000]

Originally Posted by Tweety

He did act more juvinile in the later episodes, basically because the writers kept making him act like a 7 or 8 year old...they never really let him grow up...the ultimate example of this is the "Beaver the Bunny" episode. Someone expect me to believe that kids that age will put on a "pageant" and dress up as flowers and bunnies? Puhhhleeeze!

When Mathers was 13 or 14, he was still talking like he did in the first couple of seasons. He even tried to do some of the same facial expressions as he did as a 'little kid', but they don't go over as well for a teen ager.

And, he was just as gullible in season 5 as he was in season 1...his friends were always able to goad him into doing something stupid, which is fine when you're 7, but not as funny or realistic when you're a teenager.

I still love the show though, and will definitely buy all the dvds when they come out...I think that the group of kids that appeared on this show were the absolute best group of child actors any tv show ever produced, with nothing even close to the natural talent of these kids..

Guys,

Beaver the Bunny is beyond horrible for the reasons stated above. Had this episode been introduced in the first or second season at best, it could have had the classic charm of Ralphie in his bunny suit in "A Christmas Story."

However,Beaver at around 13 at the time of this episode was about twice the age that would have been appropriate for such a story line.

Ms. Landers having Beaver's 5th grade class do "Old Macdonald Had A Farm" for the mother's club luncheon, where Beaver buys June that loud blouse is another example of material selected by the writers where the kids were too old to be doing a song intended for 1st-2nd graders.

Everyone misses the point of "The Silent Treatment" While it is hardly a classic and IS one of the weaker episodes of the series, the point wasn't Beaver p-o'ed about going to the store for June. It was June embarrassing Beaver, treating him like a little kid by reminding him of promising to go to the store for her when he wanted to go with Wally and Eddie and the big guys to hook up the radio in Eddie's car. June embarrassed him. Beaver's reaction of rebellion was normal in this case. Remember that he does apoligize to her when he realizes that he needs her help after he gets stung by a bee.

I'll take "The Silent Treatment" over "Beaver the Bunny" or the almost as bad "Clothing Drive" anyday. The only thing good about the Clothing Drive was the second apperence, ("Tell it to Ella" was the first) of Beaver's friend Mike Harmon, played by Tim Mathieson from Animal House!

Jack