Best season?

[MichaelMartinD]

I realize this topic has been done before, but I've found it always leads to interesting discussions. What do you think was LITB's best season overall? My vote goes to Season 3, with Season 2 a close second.

[Scrabjan1]

I agree with Season 3 and 2 a close second. Some of the best episodes are contained in these seasons....Ward was so funny and a great father and June and Ward have great chemistry. Little Beaver is just so cute.

[Tankeryanker]

1-3 are my favorites. Beav was sooooo cute and the scripts were age appropriate.

I would have like the later seasons if they had let Wally go to college and Beav act his age.

[stevea]

This is a tough one to answer. I enjoy them all pretty equally, but I'd have to lower 4, then 5 on the ladder, a little. I think the writing suffered a little in those seasons, in that order. Negating my argument somewhat is the fact that season 4 has a few of the most memorable episodes.

I don't lower 6, since someone recognized they need a little refresh. So, they jazzed up the themes, and totally redid the episode music. They also dealt well with the kids growing up, by integrating Wally's friends more into the show.

[MichaelMartinD]

My ranking of the seasons:

3
2
4
6
1
5

Season 5 was weakest season overall, with an awkward adolescent Beaver and some lackluster episodes. Of course, even comparatively weak LITB is better than the majority of shows either then or now!

Season 1 (along with Season 2) forms many people's idea of what LITB is all about, but for me the show is still getting warmed up and the characterizations are not all there yet (especially June and Wally). I also think the camera work is flat in Season 1 and the pacing is slow.

Unlike some fans I enjoy many of the episodes of Season 6, even though overall it was not as strong or as funny as the earlier seasons. The best thing about this season is that it showed Wally and Beaver in more mature situations, like Wally falling for the ticket girl or Beaver catching the businessman cheating on his golf score.

Season 4 was almost as good as Season 3 and contains what many consider the all time classic episode, "In the Soup."

Seasons 2-3 were, for me, the gold standard of the show. Beaver/Jerry was just the right age, Wally/Tony's acting had improved vastly from Season 1, and there was the right mix of great writing, episodes, and characters (esp. Larry Mondello).

[stevea]

It's hard to rank them. It's such a well-made show, and the concept is so good, all I can do is use certain factors to downgrade. The ones I used were inconsistencies, and maybe writing slip ups. In an early season 4 episode, the Cleavers talk about using Mrs. Bronson as a babysitter...come on, Bronson is June's maiden name. Also, season 4 is when the mixups about Gilbert's last name start. On the other hand season 4 has THE ultimate episode, and at least 3 other memorable ones: brussels sprouts, the friend who has divorced parents, the school picture. But you have to start somewhere.

Season 5 is probably the weakest. Really weakening this season is probably the worst episode of the series, Beaver the Bunny. Balancing that is one of the better episodes, Nobody Loves Me. The writing in this season isn't up to par with the better seasons, but to me it still edges the 4th season.

Season 6 is quite good. Some really good scripts in that season.

3, 2, 6, 1, 5, 4.

Great comments about seasons 2 and 3-agree with all. The show really missed Larry Mondello.

[PhoenixAcres]

Season 3 is probably my favorite. Lots of memorable episodes that year, and it was the last full season with Larry.