janet-conant Reviews

The Andy Griffith Show: The Return of Malcolm Merriweather (1964) Season 4, Episode 28

The Return of Malcolm Is Memorable

[9/10 · 19 April 2024]

Don't understand why everyone has to dump all over the return of a great character. Malcolm was one of my favorites in the first appearance and loved all that typically British slang like all dressed up like a dog's dinner, a proper Charlie and a regular Bobby dazzler. When Malcolm returns to Mayberry this time to give Aunt Bee some time to herself you know it's going to be a gas.

Watching Malcolm entertain us with all those hilarious maneuvers and gestures like picking up his pants at the knees and skipping as well as 'You what' when asking where to find the soup ladle is most entertaining. Anyone else doing these moves would be cringeworthy but not Bernard Fox. Of course he could have explained to Andy it was time he was on his way and let Miss Bee take over but we wouldn't have that memorable spoof serving dinner. Opie was noticeably missing so as to have him not see Malcolm but he knows all about a snootful.

Aunt Bee shows a different side to her character playing her irritated and cross. I tend to think this could be the real Frances Bavier acting when something displeased her like bad language on the set. At times she could be a piece of work. Apparently she never talked to Knotts except when working.

Anyway I love Malcolm Merriweather and glad he returned for another laugh fest. You can keep the fun girls, Goober and Helen Crump but love the Darlings and Lydia Crosswaite.

My Three Sons: Two O'Clock Feeding (1969) Season 9, Episode 27

Show Keeps Getting Worse

[1/10 · 28 March 2024]

I watch this show just to laugh at how poor it is. It never fails to have bad stiff acting, plot and dreadful writing. No matter the flimsy plot it is always predictable and when it's over you think 'is that it?' Uncle Charlie at least tries to be funny.

I'm reviewing only to comment on the actor playing the Johnny Crawford character. Early in the show in a brief scene the character is tall, dark hair and no glasses but in a later scene with MacMurray the character is shorter, dark blond hair and wearing glasses and not as handsome. Did the first actor, was it John Washbrook, decide to not show up? It is a completely different person. Maybe the show took so long to film later scenes he changed his appearance and shrunk. Either way it was so predicable and lame and once again girls are portrayed as frivolous and fickle. How it lasted over 9 seasons is as baffling as how Sarah Palin was presidential.

The Rifleman: Mark's Rifle (1962) Season 5, Episode 8

Poor Mark He Was So Wrong

[5/10 · 31 January 2024]

In this one poor Mark acts like a very naive pantywaist. Season 5 never gave Johnny a chance to break out of that claustrophobic cocoon and shine like he should. He acts like Marty is his first real friend and gets too excited. There is no way that a kid Mark's age would not be a crack shot with a rifle being the son of Lucas McCain. However he is to never get the best of the rifleman. He actually misses every bottle and acts like a 10 year old. When Lucas taught that kid to shoot a rifle in Boomerang he tells Mark he'll teach him sometime. He doesn't.

Lucas shoots the burglar in the hotel through the door and it's Marty groaning and moaning acting like he was shot by another man running away. Everyone knows it is the charming Marty trying to rob Lou. Why is he protected and why does Micah not believe Lucas. The relationship between Mark and Marty is so overdone you think they are dating and Mark sees only good in him. Not a believable episode and Lucas is so insipid throughout he never smiles because for a change Mark isn't kowtowing to Pa until he delivers that lame apology.

Season 5 was the worst season as Mark was no longer a scrapper as he was in seasons 1-3 but rather laid back and subdued. He should have gotten better scripts and been good with a gun as Crawford could act.

The Big Valley: Miranda (1968) Season 3, Episode 18

Answer to zorob1-1

[7/10 · 20 January 2024]

This is not so much a review but an answer to a question posed in a review. They wondered why Linda Evans was missing from many episodes in the 3rd season. When Evans got the role of Audra, Evans' then boyfriend John Derek, who later became her husband, did not want her to take the job. Later he wanted her out of the contract.

"He wanted me to get out of the show," Evans says of Derek, whom she later married and divorced. She tried to quit, but the producers would not agree. "As a result, I never even watched the show when it was on." Evans, who now lives in Washington state, admits that at the time "my dream was to be married, having children, not to be an actress. I would have been happy not to have done it." She completed the first two seasons but appears in very few episodes in seasons 3 and 4 and then only in a supporting role one episode she is mute.

My Three Sons: The Chameleon (1967) Season 8, Episode 8

Is The End in Sight?

[1/10 · 19 January 2024]

No, this series kept on and on and on. I've seen this before and still think it is so wacky. Imagine agreeing to let some kid throw rocks at your head for fun? That Mike is a juvenile delinquent and they call what he-she does childish pranks. Right, throwing an explosive into a vase in someone's house is a prank? Even Uncle Charlie caves when he finds out Mike is a girl. Doesn't anyone think her behavior is dangerous?

Most of this crazy episode is filler, trying to get Ernie to play with this kid, Katie et al using psychology on Mike and calling the bumbling father for advice while on a business trip. Yes Steve Douglas was a strange father.

When Mike appears at the door all dressed up with bows, frills and white gloves to go to a dance with 4 eyes it's like did I miss something? I wanted to rate one star.

The Rifleman: Long Trek (1961) Season 3, Episode 17

Chapman's Acting First Rate

[9/10 · 14 January 2024]

Lonny Chapman was so versatile that he can carry the episode as #3. He is really #1 in this episode. As others have told the story I'm just commenting on the superb acting of Connors, Fix and Chapman. As I watch this episode I think how realistic they all look after being without water and how it affects the brain. Even Lucas gets dizzy and one feels he'll go the way of Micah who is almost incapacitated.

It's Stanley at the end who does it for me with those antics of a madman as he loses it and starts thinking cool water is running his way. As time runs out for Stanley, horses return, a little digging brings the spring flowing and Lucas and Micah are saved.

Chapman was equally good in Devil Makes Five as a condemned man with wit but Long Trek really shows his abilities as an actor taunting and laughing then downright unhinged.

Poor Lucas had to probably bury Stanley good thing he had plenty of water and horses.

Gunsmoke: Root Down (1962) Season 8, Episode 4

Always Enjoy John Dehner

[7/10 · 13 January 2024]

If I see John Deyner is in an episode then that's my go to episode. He's been in a dozen Gunsmokes and he has a way of acting that is real and genuine. Whether he's a no account or a prominent figure that voice and how he uses it is tops. In The Big Valley who was creepier than that murderous rawhider, Daddy Cade. Here he portrays a shiftless pa to a shiftless, angry son and vulnerable daughter who just wants to settle somewhere and find someone who might care about her especially since she appears to have quite a wardrobe for residing outside.

She decides she has to set out herself to Dodge and meet a man and lucky Chester is at the right place. As they often do, the casting picks an actress for a part that doesn't fit the character but will bring in the audience. Jackson is much too fetching as Aggie and would have no trouble with any man. Reminds me of the episodes, Take Her She's Cheap and Bad Seed both actresses were way too sexy and wonder how any man could resist them.

Anyway her only way to maybe catch Chester, who seems rather lukewarm about her, is to invite him to meet her father then delivers the news that they were together all night. Her old man, being a moral and noble father, yeah right decides a marriage should be in order. Aggie never wanted to bring harm to Chester but now he's almost a prisoner.

I think if Aggie had hung around Dodge for just an afternoon the boys would buzz around her like a honeycomb and she could take her pick. Even at the end when Aggie confesses that she lied about her and Chester and he rides off with Matt you still wonder why Chester bailed out. A plain girl would have been more believable but you're glad her future looks brighter as her pa promises to settle down somewhere so maybe there's hope?

The Waltons: The Family Tree (1978) Season 6, Episode 18

Best Episode of Season 6

[9/10 · 19 December 2023]

I was very moved by this episode and very surprised as season 6 was in a transition period after John Boy left but we still had John, Olivia and Grandpa. I was never a real fan of Jason, but he holds his own in this episode, helping Verdie find her roots and the long difficult task involved.

When Verdie finds the graves of her grandparents and records in the church it was very emotional but when the minister tells her about that medallion she has you know she's getting closer. How kind of Jason to take her to visit the plantation where Verdie believes her ancestors were slaves and we get to meet Mrs. Unwin, a bigoted, hateful woman who has only animosity towards black people blaming them because they wanted their freedom. The war destroyed her but it doesn't give her the right to treat them so ruthlessly. Thanks to Jason, Verdie doesn't give up.

Grandpa goes with them and tells Mrs. Unwin that her attic papers could hold the key to Bertie's roots and please allow her that opportunity to search, as she knows her heritage well but Bertie's past is a mystery. Mrs. Unwin allows her to go to the attic and she is a very convincing actress.

Sadly we find that the old records cannot be read due to water damage. When Verdie discovers that an artist has made drawings of the occupants of that home years ago, and then finds her great grandfather, a slave, wearing the medallion and holding her grandfather, as a baby I got the shivers. Verdie's perseverance was rewarded and when she said 'Your people owned mine' it was quite a moment.

A truly stirring episode I thought it was about time.

Gunsmoke: Crooked Mile (1964) Season 10, Episode 2

Great Review By irrap

[7/10 · 13 December 2023]

I decided to watch this again and remembered some of it. My first impression was that Kennedy was miscast as the obsessive father because he wasn't convincing as irrap said. I expected him any minute to burst out laughing and use that hayseed accent and dance around. Imagine an actor like John Anderson playing Ross's daddy? That guy could do anything. Speaking of great acting, I loved the memory of meeting up with the great Royal Dano. That small part in the beginning of Moby Dick was eerie and foreboding. I've been blown away by his career and loved him in The Rifleman but imagine he invites you over for a visit. You are one lucky dude, irrap. If there was one actor I could listen to it's Royal. What a voice. Even though Big Valley was rather hokey I enjoyed him greatly in Ladykiller as a cold blooded killer.

This episode shows us who could capture a character and who couldn't. Ross was effective but Reynolds sort of phoned it in. If I were a guy I'd have shown more passion about that beautiful girl.

Maybe if Kennedy played the hired killer and Dano the obsessive father it would have worked better. When Kennedy said 'God forgive me' at the grave he almost redeemed himself. Always love Festus and I laughed out loud when Festus and Quint see the short fuse on the keg and take time to look at each other!

Can you imagine George Kennedy won an Oscar for Cool Hand Luke and Dano not even an Emmy!!

My Three Sons: A Real Nice Time (1966) Season 7, Episode 11

Just Dreadful

[1/10 · 11 December 2023]

I watch this tv show lately just because it is possibly one of the worst sitcoms ever and I wonder how it continued into over 8 seasons. I might have caught it occasionally growing up like when Katie joined the family and made fun of it. The writing, acting and directing was so substandard.

In this one just the idea of a movie star dropping in on a guy on his birthday was ludicrous but she does and that scene where Ernie shows Chip how to act elated then faint on the bed was cringe worthy but the whole series was cringeworthy. Stanley Livingston actually looked ill at ease like he hated doing the stuff. MacMurray went from an acceptable actor in film to playing a bumbling rather pathetic character with the same reaction to everything and that same deer in the headlights face.

I thought the whole concept of staging a publicity stunt with Chip and the girl was bizarre and Chip not the least interested in her was inane. I didn't think it could get any worse until they go out on a casual date and land down at the local soda fountain and started dancing. Jeeeeeez. Yes I watched the whole 30 minutes.

Chip should have been lucky someone that pretty would even look at him.

The Waltons: The Milestone (1977) Season 6, Episode 12

Another Clunker

[3/10 · 11 December 2023]

As a woman I know a thing or two about menopause and never felt trapped, isolated, aggravated or needed to flee. Of course we knew all about menopause unlike Olivia. As a lot of women will say they didn't have time for menopause they were too busy. Olivia seems to have all the time in the world to runoff and see her aunt who seems to have a cure for everything, a great cup of nectar and a perfect doctor. She's one lucky woman she has someone to run to. I did get the physical signs maybe the hot flashes coming on but no moodiness or wanting to run off.

Every so often we have Ma or Pa Walton feeling the need to run off whether it's to prove they're still a man or just taken for granted around the house. So we have time now for another midlife crisis when the chips are down, but imagine a whole episode about a natural stage in life. Will they next profile Jim Bob discovering his pubescence?

I just think they were reaching in this episode for some kind of story but nothing happened. Olivia should have realized she had a great husband and family so what a selfish thing to run away like a teen. Just ask MaryEllen she'll diagnose you.

Jim Bob's predicament about wanting to work in Rockfish was more interesting. How did John's house frame fall down? Must have been pretty flimsy. Oh John Boy won't you please come home. 🎶 🎶

The Rifleman: Heller (1960) Season 2, Episode 22

Acting Was Top Notch

[10/10 · 10 December 2023]

Wow I've been a Rifleman fan since I first watched in 1962. Still in 2023 I'm moved by the realistic acting and no schmaltz like say Bonanza. So glad this show is now available to capture a new audience as it is phenomenal in writing, acting and directing.

Heller is memorable and disturbing as lots of people grew up in such a home. I was rather afraid of my father when he drank so watching this as a kid hit home.

Heller must take matters into her own hands and confront the man who has ruined their lives since their mother is victimized and passive. When Heller played by Gigi Perreau tries to summon the courage to go after Bechtel and speaks to her dead father for help it's extraordinary acting and when she is talked down from killing him by Lucas well it's sealed. Beautiful girl and a powerhouse of emotions even at the end with that disappointing gesture when Lucas thinks of her as a daughter. Don Grady showed such talent, too bad he was wasted in My Three Sons. Of course Whitney can play a good guy and an evil guy. That's what I liked best about The Rifleman a drama that worked in every way. Only wish Gigi had won an Emmy for this episode.

Gunsmoke: Cody's Code (1962) Season 7, Episode 17

Rose Just Wasn't Convincing

[4/10 · 6 December 2023]

The problem with this script was we never see Rose at all while Cody is nursing Brack Tracy back to health. We have a perfect father and son relationship with these two, one caring for the other and one appreciating the help. He even hides Brack in the attic when Chester comes looking.

All of a sudden this Rose drops in to Cody's house after many days and sees Brack. Even a mediocre actress could pull off a love at second sight but not Gloria. She's not convincing showing us she's now in love? With this young stud. Granted she appreciated how he defended her from Dukes but her acting was weak and not believable. Brack really would have been honorable to resist this harlot since she's spoken for but it's not the case. The guy, Koger, friend of Dukes had no real purpose and just filler to take up time, trying to find Brack first and kill him. I believe Dillon takes guns away from 3 men in this one. Dukes drank so much whiskey I'm surprised he could talk. Funny how no one ever got sick after too much drink in Dodge.

Caruso was good as Cody but as another reviewer said how did Cody and Rose get together? What was the attraction? A new house? We never learned why she was going to marry him. A better actress might have won me over but not enough time was given for her to fall for Brack.

Not one of my favorite episodes but an actress like say Patricia Barry or Joanna Moore might have brought Rose to life.

The Waltons: The Recluse (1977) Season 6, Episode 3

Another Clunker Like The Seashore

[3/10 · 30 November 2023]

I guess it was nice of Jason to help out the woman who hadn't left her home in years but why did it take so long for someone to help her out. It was just like she came from a beam of light and landed in the house. I had seen it before and was never interested much. The other plot is Ben who decides to get on the bus and go to Norfolk for a change of scenery. Huh he knows he's needed at home at the mill. He finds that schyster car salesman is closing business and headed to Norfolk. He says he was hoping to work selling lemons full time when he graduates. Then suddenly he's headed to Norfolk. Mama Walton would never allow one of her brood to quit school.

Well that subplot is totally ridiculous. He gets a job right away, makes a friend and all of a sudden they're out to a Waikiki restaurant drinking umbrella drinks with two beauties. Ben is in love again. What happened to the car salesman's daughter? Only on the Waltons can someone like Ben be attractive to the ladies. I think he returns to the mountain he wouldn't want to be written out like Corby. Jason gets to meet women in these episodes but they're old enough to be his mother.

Season 6 started pretty bad and continued with really substandard stories. I bet Thomas was glad he packed it in.

Gunsmoke: Take Her, She's Cheap (1964) Season 10, Episode 6

Hope For Allie?

[8/10 · 25 November 2023]

I've seen this now several times and can't do as well as other reviewers have but here's my opinion. The acting is top-notch especially Linda Watkins and Lauri Peters. Every episode with Watkins is a great watch.

Can't believe how a girl gets to be Allie's age and still innocent of men and danger. How did she stay so long with that no count father and brother? As she emerges from the thicket my first thought was wow beautiful teeth and sassy haircut. Long hair pulled back would be more desirable for a girl stuck on the prairie. I gradually looked past that as her character is so sweet and likable, throwing herself at Matt. And why wouldn't she? Seeing a tall, respectable lawman and comparing him to her clan. You can totally understand her mind set. When Allie walks in the dark all those miles to Dodge to find Matt, well that's hard enough but then to get raped by one of the most heinous dudes in the west, could she have had worse luck. That brother was equally lowlife to not defend her immediately.

When Dillon finds the rapist zonked out in a cabin and beats the crap out of him it's just about the best fight I've seen in Gunsmoke. The whole fight was choreographed like a dance. Having Allie see that guy again was a mistake and when Matt says 'It's all over.' Well he's not a young woman who was attacked. How Allie is allowed by Doc to mount a horse after a rape and not get her clean clothes and shoes was criminal. Miss Kitty would have taken her under her wing so she was missing in action so Matt could be her guardian.

The ending surprised me how he returned her to her kin still not having moved an inch. He did give her some confidence however. You get a bit optimistic when mother tells Allie how they should try talking more and maybe the days will go better. I don't know unless they decide to take the boys and leave that mister and brother, two of the worthless people on earth. Again this episode could have been a 10 if some good luck came Allie's way.

Gunsmoke: Bad Seed (1961) Season 6, Episode 21

Flimsy Episode

[4/10 · 18 November 2023]

Yeah Anne was quite fetching in her jeans but I wonder how she could look so clean and well groomed living with a no count drunk.

I was rather perplexed how Trudy could be so mature and still be called a kid. Granted she was obviously a victim of incest but wonder why she waited so long to leave and how did she survive with that guy. Casting was off as Anne Helm was way too beautiful and too old as a dirt farmer's daughter with gorgeous teeth and someone like Colin Wilcox (Mayella in Mockingbird) or anyone a bit more homely could be more believable. There were plenty of plain looking girls under contract.

The way she became a rebellious wildcat was expected but all in all she was a victim of her upbringing and this type of subject matter was unusual for '61 but definitely needed more time to understand her character. Of course the episode wouldn't have the same appeal with the guys with a plain Jane.

The Waltons: The Rebellion (1976) Season 5, Episode 14

Olivia Has Another Mid-life Crisis

[4/10 · 6 November 2023]

It's another one of those episodes where one of the Waltons is bored. This time Olivia decides she needs a new look and gets some advice from Cora Beth. I always thought that Ike must have had another occupation on the side to afford his wife's lavish endeavors. She now has a beauty parlor in back and talks Olivia into getting a permanent wave without any knowledge of that electric contraption. Cora Beth even is decked out in the latest fashion for her new role. Unbelievable! She destroys Olivia's hair so she looks like Harpo Marx and Olivia runs away from everyone because they all laugh. John Sr is irate but leave it to Berty to come up with a turban to cover it when Olivia asks what her people do about kinky hair.

It's okay because by the next episode her hair is back to normal but we do see Flossie Bremer enjoying a bit of gin on her front porch, strictly for medicinal purposes.

The other storyline is Grandma threatening to turn Methodist if she has to share the organ playing at church. Not a well written episode but better than the next one called The Ferris Wheel.

I didn't pay much attention to this one but I was surprised that Olivia would do such a thing knowing John would be furious and why she didn't sue Cora Beth is quite a mystery. 4 stars for that wig.

Gunsmoke: I Call Him Wonder (1963) Season 8, Episode 28

The Characters Were Dubious

[6/10 · 21 October 2023]

I have to agree with sagara321 who wrote a review Cute But Ridiculous. Here's this empathetic guy called Jud who just happens to be a good poker player and wins the pot from three losers. They beat him up right in the saloon in another Kansas town and take back the money. The leader admits later he didn't cheat. Later after befriending an orphaned Arapaho Indian boy, he calls Wonder, Jud arrives in Dodge to secure a job with a rancher. The guy tells him to lose the kid and you got a job. Seems no one wants a drifter and an Indian boy around Dodge and Jud winds up in jail beating up a hateful cook. Jud has a soft spot for the boy who never leaves his side but Dillon explains Wonder belongs with his people.

Dillon tries to take the boy to an outpost to find someone to take him but the boy somehow manages to arrive back in Dodge. That was implausible to say the least. So now Jud has the boy back and no money. Now the three losers arrive in Dodge and Jud, way too cordial, seems to have no animosity towards them even though they beat him up and took his money. That was hard to swallow.

So he sells a pocket watch to Kitty so he could get his horse out of hock then instead sits down to a poker game with who? The three losers who rolled him. What was he thinking? He wins the pot again, finds Wonder sleeping in a doorway and they go to sleep in the livery stable. He doesn't suspect those losers are coming for him and the money?

The most ludicrous part is how these three despicable creeps plan to kidnap the boy, tie up the livery guy and make Jud pay to get him back. Jud offers all his money to them but instead of taking the money they beat up Jud again and one loser, Nimoy, is killed. Why are these men so diabolical? Now they will string Jud up by his feet but Wonder has escaped to get help. Didn't someone like Dillon hear the shooting in the night and come running? Not this time.

I think Wonder was a cute little actor and very believable but Jud was just a bit too amicable for the old west. You wonder how he survived so long being so personable. You would expect to find Jud on Little House on the Prairie not Gunsmoke. Hope he has better luck at the end when he and Wonder ride out together to another town.

Gunsmoke: Muley (1967) Season 12, Episode 18

A Desperate Love Story

[9/10 · 24 September 2023]

Read the other reviews for the plot which was, I believe, a fine script for Gunsmoke, as my review is based on the chemistry between Muley and Lucky. Last time I saw this episode I wished I had recorded it. I found Zalman King as Muley so believable as a troubled young man who can't help caring for a young outspoken saloon girl with a simple charm. One reviewer thought King was miscast but Muley/King needed to be vulnerable and attractive enough to be sought after by Lucky but show a determined, tough and self-assured facade as head of the gang.

Muley doesn't mince words with Lucky and at first tells her to leave him alone then advises her she's too young for a saloon as he finds they have common ground. That moment he realizes he really cares about her almost like a big brother is poignant. Muley dodges her many questions and even though he calls her crazy for her optimism he truly shows the audience how he's enjoying her innocence as they have breakfast. That smile from each other gives us a look into their souls.

The scene in the cemetery as Muley tries to get back on track with his plans is dashed when he confesses he needs her as Lucky needs him. A real attraction between two people who have respect for each other. Lucky has a naive demeanor and has drawn him in as we see a gentle side to Muley, not a killer. He's tried to keep his mind on his next plan but so affected by this girl he makes you care what happens to him. When one forceful member calls him out he reacts violently. His vengeance for his brother's death is almost waning. When he loses his cool after Lucky has unknowingly spoken against his brother he softens his anger explaining she should never have met him and confessing how he will hurt her in the end.

Zalman King and Lane Bradbury were perfect in this tale showing an instinctive captivation for each other. He maybe cares more about her now than himself. When he lays dying and speaks of picking flowers for her you feel his honesty and wish he had another chance at life. An unexpected love story and his death scene, more realistic than any I've seen.

The Waltons: The Song (1975) Season 3, Episode 22

Practically Unwatchable

[1/10 · 6 September 2023]

This episode could have appeared in season 8 or 9 when the writing and acting was dreadful so surprised it was season 3. The plot is nothing original just two brothers liking the same girl. The girl is Sally Ann and could they have chosen a worse player than Erin Moran? Notice I didn't say actress. She's not attractive at all and that song she is singing is garbage. I almost couldn't watch this episode the way Jason acts like some big shot and all of a sudden she's what? In love with him? What an obnoxious character but for Erin it was a job after Happy Daze. Jason's as attractive as a hedge fence so they belong together. Ben should go after that girl he drove to see her mother but she's long gone.

I was hoping for a sub plot but there wasn't one this time unless you call that pool game at Godsey's. I can't believe a whole hour could be spent on this rot. Like who cares what happens to Sally Ann, Jason or Ben, three boring characters. Usually the Waltons had something to keep watching even The Visitor but I must admit I turned it off so don't know what happens. How other posters could rate it 8 stars and 10 is baffling. Did Ben lose Sally Ann and drown in a lake? Did Sally Ann take off with Bobby and get a new series? Did Jason finally realize he should just be a farmer? We'll never know.

The best part was watching Grandpa riding Blue. Would have loved to see him get on the mule.

Leave It to Beaver: Chuckie's New Shoes (1960) Season 4, Episode 11

Writers Were Out To Lunch

[2/10 · 1 September 2023]

The only redeeming moment of this episode is when Ward tells Beaver to stay there and don't move and they'll be down to get him. Then we hear Ward say "Of course you can sit down." Later after Ward and June both are hostile to Eddie they apologize the next day and Eddie in his perfect polite facade manages to stick it to them as only Eddie can. You end the episode thinking that was great. Nope!!

This has to be the worst episode but there were many sub-par episodes in season 4. How a neighbor lady can just drop in looking for Mrs. Cleaver to take her brat downtown to get shoes and then when only Wally and Beaver are home, stick Wally with the chore. Why? So she can drive her husband to the airport and he needs shoes for Monday. Completely idiotic!

That's only the beginning after Wally passes the chore to Beaver, totally out of character, the bratty Chuckie is nothing but trouble. Beaver buys the kid two pairs, not one, and then Chuckie is missing. Beaver can't find the brat but a store clerk seeing Chuckie in sporting goods believes some kid 'losted' him and decides he can take him home. What? Isn't Mrs. M at the major airport and not home? That Mr. Swanson looked like a perv even though it didn't become the norm until the 70's. All of a sudden Mrs. M shows up with the brat at the Cleavers and cries because Beaver is missing. Huh? How did she get home so soon? Now everyone dumps on Wally and Mrs. M glares at him for shirking his responsibilities!

All in all a badly written episode that maybe with the right tweaking could have been more acceptable.

The Waltons: The Lie (1975) Season 3, Episode 15

Nancy's Parents Deserve Each Other

[5/10 · 28 August 2023]

I won't go into detail about the whole poorly written plot just read the other reviews. I feel really sorry for the poor girl in this episode. She's so desperate to see the mother who left her when she was a baby that she convinces Ben to not only steal John Boy's car and drive without a license but drive her into the big city at night to meet with her self absorbed mother who's passing through on her way to Florida to get married. She then tells Ben not to tell a soul. Why? Her father will lock her up and throw away the key! So girl get away from him, go live with the Waltons. Waite and Thomas were as good as always and Eric Scott held his own.

First off her mother was very reckless to make Nancy find her way to the big city to see her when she could've easily met her at school, or anywhere else on Waltons mountain as she had some money. Nancy is a victim in many ways having a father who thinks she's going to run off like her mother so she becomes a prisoner in her own home. He seems to never have a kind word towards her so when she went to see her mother why didn't she just go with her to Florida and leave that crazy man? Mama didn't ask her to.

Poor Ben is so trusting to forget the keys and then sticks to his promise to not tell anyone even though the car has been in an accident. You never see John Walton so mad at anyone as he yanks Ben by the shirt for being so mouthy and shoves him into the door. Poor Ben, he's so stubborn because he promised Nancy.

What really is hard to swallow is how Nancy has been able to live most of her young life with a man who doesn't let her do anything but go to school. And then all of a sudden he does a 180 and he's good neighbor Sam. The mother was just too much leaving her baby with that guy, running off then expecting her daughter to actually come and meet her. She never gives Ben so much as a thank you for driving Nancy to see her. I'm surprised no one, like Olivia, hasn't reached out in the past to help Nancy cope with that father. Also where was grandma?

The Waltons: The Ring (1974) Season 3, Episode 6

MaryEllen, a Poor Role Model

[7/10 · 15 August 2023]

MaryEllen is headed to her first college dance with a real college man and is so excited. She buys a vintage evening bag from Vern, the junk dealer, for a song and scams him out of a decent price. Next she finds a very old ring in the purse pocket, hides it and knows it was Mrs. Breckinridge's purse so it's her ring. Later she finds Mrs. B has been by asking if it was found. MaryEllen doesn't say a word and makes Erin be her partner in crime.

She is treated like a mature woman dancing with Grandpa then off to the dance. In the ladies room she's not careful and carelessly drops the ring on the floor drain. She doesn't even check her purse to make sure it's safe. The next day she acts sneaky around her family and finally gets John Boy to help her find it at the college auditorium. MaryEllen has created lots of trouble for innocent people and Audrey even breaks the rules to get into the window to find the ring. Audrey gets caught and loses her chance to join a sorority but she found the ring.

As another poster stated she has created lots of trouble for other people all because she wanted to feel sophisticated at the dance. Her father sees no reason to punish her and all she has to do is return the ring to the rightful owner. This episode taught that it's okay to borrow something that's not yours, not be careful with it and then get everyone involved to find it because she wanted to feel important. MaryEllen acted like an prima donna and Elizabeth was missing in action.

All in the Family: Amelia's Divorce (1975) Season 5, Episode 19

It's The Episode I Remember Best

[10/10 · 25 July 2023]

I agree with vitoscotti, one of the best written episodes. When Amelia and Russell arrive for a visit with presents in tow and just back from Hawaii it's a laugh fest. Archie has some of the best jabs to Russell's harsh comments. O'Connor and Stapleton prove their characters are the best and Russell and Amelia give strong support.

The writing is superb and Edith is perfect defending her marriage while thinking Amelia has the best of everything. The scene at Kelcey's is hilarious with Russell talking about greener pastures and Archie gets the audience approval defending Edith. I think the line about Thanksgiving sums up this one but at the end when Archie takes Edith's hand it's, for me, this series at its best. Hilarious throughout and tears at the end.

All in the Family: Mike's Mysterious Son (1972) Season 2, Episode 17

Bad Casting and Poor Writing

[2/10 · 18 July 2023]

It's been a while but I finally saw this episode after many years. I remember it and found it very unsettling. ExplorerD wrote a long narrative regarding the woman, Marilyn, and everything they said was correct.

Why write a script about a woman who shows up at the Bunker house and pushes a young boy into the house and leaves. I'm surprised the staff didn't all say thumbs down. It's not funny or believable even when Edith tries to talk to the little boy and then have to explain how he got there. For a show full of laughs this was creepy. Having everyone fighting around the little boy, Gloria and Mike yelling from the bedroom, Archie up all night it was just plain bizarre.

The end all was this insipid, unlikeable woman finally showing up to retrieve her kid early in the morning and tell Mike he's not his kid. 'Oh Really?' Everyone feels sorry for her because she can't get a man but Archie is right. It's not their fault and she had no right to get them involved.

She's got a caustic attitude and did it ever occur to her these guys leave not because of the boy but because of her obnoxious ways. CPS should have been called, not allow her to leave with her parting contemptible remarks. If I were asked to play Marilyn and read the script I would decline as this episode accomplished nothing redeemable. I didn't like it then and hate this episode now. Only good thing about it was the boy was very cute. I thought he was Jodie Foster's brother.