A Few Comments

[Scrabjan1]

Un-Togetherness: That kid in the library who turns the book right side up for Wally wasn’t spontaneous. He immediately looks at the book without letting his eyes gradually see it. In Merchant Marines Ward tries to get Wally to talk about the sea and mentions their summer vacation at Crystal Lake yet in Un-Togetherness their vacation for 11 years has been Lake Crescent.

Dinner Date: Beaver is expecting a call from Richard when the Maitre’d calls. He picks it up “Hello Richard I was “huh” oh yes okay I will (something like that?) he never lets the guy speak. Very bad phone. Wally was funny in the restaurant and Eddie was when Wally was calling about soup. Funny how Julie didn’t know Wally was so suave yet later he’s so naive and immature.

Beaver’s Football Banquet: never fails to annoy me how the whole episode is about dressing up or not. How come Terry didn’t know who Ronald was he’s on the team. He calls him “kid.” At the banquet I would have said to Terry with the meek expression “Hey what are you a square wearing a suit and tie? Let your parents push you around?” Gilbert said his father was bringing his uncle yet it’s just Gilbert and Mr. Bates. They all look at Beaver like he has leprosy in his sweater. I wonder who that guy was who stood in for Mule Saunders in the paper. Also Ward must have lowered the jacket and tie down on a rope and put them in the trunk.

[stevea]

Un-togetherness: Yep, I don't think I'd heard Lake Crescent mentioned before this episode. We'd certainly heard of Crystal Lake before, and Shadow Lake. One other thing that bugged me: in the driveway as Wally was getting ready to go with the family, Eddie tells him he'll waive the ten bucks. Since June had told Wally Agnes had called about Eddie wanting to charge, she and Eddie had obviously discussed it or she wouldn't have known. So of course she would have told Eddie that charging Wally was out of the question. Unless, of course, Eddie knew that and was just giving Wally the business.

Dinner Date: Right, and also it would have been in character for June to tell Beaver that we never answer the phone thinking we know who it will be. "Beaver, there won't be any caller ID for another 20 or 30 years, so you just watch your manners on the telephone!"

Football Banquet: Re Terry and Ronald. Terry is obviously a BMOC at Grant Avenue School. He can't be bothered to address peons by name unless maybe they catch one of his passes and deserve a special named after them at the malt shop.

I didn't catch the Gilbert's uncle line--Maybe Uncle Grover was coming later. Hope he wore a tie.

Yep I've wondered about the jacket getting to the car. Ward knew the rope trick from seeing it twice over the years, so maybe that was the answer!

Whoever played Mule, he needed a treatment at Mule Salon.

[Scrabjan1]

That’s right everything you said. I guess Ward knew a rope was in the drawer from the jacket caper. I thought of that too about mentioning the $10. Hey someone on FB pointed out that when Ward, June and Beaver said good bye to Wally and got in the car Beaver is in the back. Yet when they see Eddie hanging out on the sidewalk (coincidence) and pull up all three are in the front seat. Why? So they could all easily have a conversation.

First time Eddie did something nice for the Cleavers. Love how it ends with Eddie with the last word “ I wonder if he would hire me?” Fat Chance Gibson doesn’t like him. In Summer in Alaska June mentions Wally’s job at the soda fountain and Mr. Barnes is his boss. Maybe Gibson did hire Eddie and gave away so much free ice cream he had to sell out.

Mr. Rickover looks at Beaver at the banquet like he’s Charlie Manson.

[stevea]

At the end of Banquet, as Beaver and Ward are heading back in, Beaver says something like, "Dad, I'm really a goofy (or dopey) kid." A good Ward reply would have been, "Well, Beaver, I think you summed it up really well there."

[Scrabjan1]

Agree. A truly dopey kid.

[stevea]

Or, "Well, Beaver, I think you summed it up really well there. It seems the older you get the dopier you are."

[Scrabjan1]

“Yeah how come I can’t be more like Wally. He’s popular and has good judgment except when they put me in that boat. I just always have to follow through on a plan and never learn my lesson. I see now why the guys dressed up, they had to. I was the only one who wore the monster sweatshirt to school and I looked like a friggin idiot like I did tonight. I did find out the guys all tried to wear their shirts and got caught. You trusted me that I changed it. I hope I grow up someday.”

So do I Beave.

[stevea]

And gee, Dad, when Wally went along with puttin' me in the boat he was way younger. Now he gives me advice and I always go and do the wrong thing anyway.

Beaver, you follow the wrong advice. Let me give you a few examples. Remember the letter from the modeling agency? I advised you that was a come-on. Do you remember getting any other advice?

Yes, sir, Eddie said I could become a model and that you were holdin' me back. That may not be exactly how it went but it was about 3 years ago.

But the point is, you followed Eddie's advice and ended up asking Mr. Compton to get you out of your mess.

Yes, sir.

And just a couple of months ago, you and Richard set up that complicated deal when he lost his jacket. You told me that was his idea. You put us all through a lot of grief and I ended up getting a very embarrassing call from Mrs. Rickover. I had to explain the whole thing to her, and pay to have Richard's jacket cleaned. I don't expect you to always have the maturity and judgment of an adult, but what could you have done to avoid that whole situation?

Well............when he told me what I could do to help him, I could have asked for you or Mom's advice.

That is absolutely right, son. You heard everything I just told you. Again, I don't expect you to always know the answer. If you came to me with that, I might have asked you what you thought should be done. You were on the high side of 12 years old and I might have coached you into a little growing up. Had you been 10 I might have told you what to do...

Yes, sir.

Had you come to me with the jacket problem and I had asked you what you thought, as I said, what would you have said you should do?

(Beaver pauses.) Well, I might have said I should tell Richard he really needs to come clean with his mom and tell her he lost the jacket.

What do you think Richard would have said to that?

That's easy...he would have kept trying to talk me into helping him.

I agree. And this is probably where you have a problem in weakening too easily. But we are all human...we all have human weaknesses. Had you weakened and helped him anyway, what do you do then?

I remember what you said, I'm a kid and I don't have good judgment.

That's not exactly what I said. I said you are not yet mature and that being the case, I don't expect you to have the judgment and experience of an adult. But I still want an answer. You've plunged in, your conscience tells you this isn't right, what should you do?

Well, I guess I have two choices....

Yes, that's right...

I can either come to you or mom for help, or I can tell Richard I'm done with this.

Which do you think is the better choice?

I deal with it myself, if I can.

You've done a lot of growing up in a few minutes here, Beaver. And if you can't?

I come to you or mom for help.

Right again! I think we're going to be a little late for the awards, but it was worth it.

I think so too. Thanks dad. I'm gonna try to not be a dopey kid so you'll be proud of me.

Good boy.

[stevea]

You know, a discussion like this could have been worked into Family Scrapbook. They could have cut a flashback or two, and an announcer could have cued it by saying there was more to the discussion at the end of Football Banquet, and flashed back to it.

[Scrabjan1]

Good discussion but as the next episode rolls around we see out antihero once again get into trouble and ask Eddie or someone for advice. Gilbert gives him the reinforcement to challenge who should get to go to the ballgame. (Poor Loser) He thinks he’s always treated like the younger brother because Wally gets everything. Beaver is acting selfish again just like in Silent Treatment. I think his attitude to June in Silent Treatment is off the rails and unlike Beaver. He treats her horribly just because she asked him to do her a favor. She even said he could buy those little chocolate cookies.

You would think he learned his lesson from the accordion and modeling agency to never trust Edward.

[stevea]

A lot of people don't like Silent Treatment, going back to the TV Land boards days.

I'm in the minority because I think what he did is a very typical juvenile reaction. "I'm not speaking to you." Used by young teenagers everywhere when they don't get their way.

Also, I think Ward was kind of slow on the retake in that episode. He was a little dense for awhile in not noticing Beaver's odd behavior.