The Manicurist

[Ignatowski]

While binging on some Andy and catching The Manicurist episode it dawned on me. Why didn't she go to the beauty parlor instead of the barber shop? They do have one as it was in The Bank Job episode when Barney breaks through the wall of the bank vault and ends up in it. I mean maybe they wouldn't have let her work there since they were threatened by her looks anyway. Yeah silly thread perhaps, but a slow day in my world today .

[GentlemanJim]

Good point about the beauty shop. It never dawned on me. Perhaps she just wanted to go where she would be most "appreciated"? lol.

[SarahBellum]

There are several TAGS episodes that don't really make a lot of sense, but we just have to go along for the entertainment value.

[GentlemanJim]

Worth noting: As the manicurist stands at the bus stop, An onlooking mayor Pike asks Barney if he would know how to handle a woman like that.

And Barney replies "Yes I do, I'd treat her a little rough,..... because they expect that".

So the next time anyone decides to elevate Barney to the level of series hero, perhaps they should keep that in mind?

Definitely a PG moment.

[SarahBellum]

Yeah, that line is a bit surprising for TAGS. I surprised it hasn't been edited out.

[GentlemanJim]

It might actually be interesting to itemize all the times that Barney behaved like a heel, There is this instance, and the several times that he two-timed Thelma Lou, and the time he let Daphne's hood boyfriend Al give Andy a beating over Barney's mouth.....I'm sure there are more?

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Worth noting: As the manicurist stands at the bus stop, An onlooking mayor Pike asks Barney if he would know how to handle a woman like that.

And Barney replies "Yes I do, I'd treat her a little rough,..... because they expect that".

So the next time anyone decides to elevate Barney to the level of series hero, perhaps they should keep that in mind?

Definitely a PG moment.

Interesting you bring up Mayor Pike who was played by Dick Elliot. This was the final episode Elliot appeared in, he had just passed away about a month prior to the episode airing. Great character actor.

[GentlemanJim]

And the time he used authority of his badge to pull over unsuspecting motorists, and forced them to haul away toxic waste (The Pickle Story)

[stevea]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

It might actually be interesting to itemize all the times that Barney behaved like a heel, There is this instance, and the several times that he two-timed Thelma Lou, and the time he let Daphne's hood boyfriend Al give Andy a beating over Barney's mouth.....I'm sure there are more?

Barney has at least a phone relationship with Juanita at the diner. I don't think we ever saw her.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by stevea

Barney has at least a phone relationship with Juanita at the diner. I don't think we ever saw her.

You're right, we never did. But based upon the cutesy talk we see him share with her on a couple phone calls, I think it's safe to conclude they were more than just casual acquaintances ...

[stevea]

Given the small size of Mayberry, and Thelma Lou and Helen ALWAYS finding out about the fun girls, it's strange Thelma Lou didn't know about Juanita.

[SarahBellum]

It was more than just a phone relationship. I believe there was an episode where Barney was telling Andy about getting home late from a date - Andy assumed it was with Thelma Lou, but it was actually with Juanita.

[Duster76]

I wrote a piece in 2010 questioning how likeable the character of Barney actually was:

Could anyone but the very talented Don Knotts sell the character of Barney Fife to the audience. When you step back a few paces and look at Barney he really wasn't all that likeable as a person.

Barney was not just an incompetent police officer, he was dangerously incompetent. On more than one occasion he accidently discharged his firearm in a public place. I sure wouldn't want my kid or anyone else for that matter, within a thousand yards of this guy, it was just blind luck that someone wasn't seriously injured or killed. He was constantly allowing prisoners to escape, constantly disobeying orders.

Barney was a two-timer. How about going around with Juanita behind Thelma Lou's back! Let's face it, Thelma Lou could have done a lot better than Barney, he was lucky to get her.

Barny had no sympathy for the shortcomings of others. Remember the episode The Jinx, Barney ragged on him big time. Remember Thelma Lou's plain cousin (Mary Grace), what did Barney call her, "a dog". Remember how condescending he was to his own cousin Virgil.

How many times did he embarrass Andy and more importantly Andy's love interest at the time, with that asinine gathering everybody up surprise party for Andy's getting married (when he wasn't). Wasn't that more about Barney being the first to know and not doing something nice for Andy.

Barney was self-indulgent, and vain to boot. With Barney it was always about Barney. What made Don Knotts so incredible was his ability to create this difficult to like character and bring him to life in such a way that we not only liked him, but rooted for him.

[GentlemanJim]

I recall being devastated by Knotts departure, at the time it happened. But my Mom was completely fine with it, explaining that the Barney character was goofy. I'm not sure that goofy was the exact word she used, but that was the general gist of it. She did not like his erratic nature.