This is a rather ridiculous,annoying,and crummy episode. Mother June Cleaver acts like a petty and neurotic 'dinner-table dictator',and the usually-solid Father,Ward Cleaver,is strangely weak and 'out to lunch' in this episode. Instead of simply putting his foot down and nipping a small problem in the bud,Ward instead allows this small problem to fester and to get much larger than is even remotely reasonable.
Youngest son Beaver is served Brussel sprouts at dinner and he makes it very clear that he doesn't like them. Instead of just making him something else to eat as a vegetable,or telling Beaver it was OK to not eat them,June turns it into a 'tug-of-war','fight-to-the-finish' situation. Beaver is told to eat the Brussel sprouts,like them or not,or he cannot go to a sporting event that the family had planned. Beaver says he'd rather stay home than eat the Brussel sprouts. In any reasonable household,an offer to stay home from a fun sporting event instead of eating Brussel sprouts would put an end to expecting that person to eat Brussel sprouts. Beaver isn't just trying to be difficult,he really doesn't like the Brussel sprouts. A last-minute compromise is pushed on Beaver so he can still go to the planned event,and Beaver half-heartedly agrees,under pressure,to eat the Brussel sprouts the next time they are served. This was a bad idea,a bad deal,and it is completely unlikely for father Ward to go along with it. This agreement solves nothing,and it only kicks the can down the road until the next time Brussel sprouts are served. Kicking any problem down the road is something that Ward Cleaver never does,it is completely out of character for him.
The family then goes to eat at a nice restaurant on the way to (or from) the sporting event,and guess what vegetable is served...Brussel sprouts ! (Of course..) Beaver doesn't want to eat them,despite the hasty agreement that he was buffaloed into making earlier. The restaurant staff,and a lady customer dining at a nearby table,all take Beaver's side in the dispute. The restaurant staff then offer some alternatives to the Brussel sprouts,ie.corn,carrots,peas,etc.
This offer is completely reasonable and should be just fine if it was actually Beaver's diet and nutrition that Mother June was worried about. As long as Beaver is eating a vegetable,any reasonable mother would be satisfied. Not June Cleaver, because she isn't being reasonable,and Ward lacks the backbone to set her straight in this episode. This is really all about June getting her way,Beaver's thoughts and feelings be damned. It is not about June's concern for Beaver's diet or his health,at all. June just HAS to be obeyed,even if it is ridiculous and unreasonable. It was disgusting,the entire dynamic of the situation and Ward's odd lack of leadership. Making it worse was father Ward allowing this to go on to begin with and then not putting a stop to it at the restaurant. The icing on the cake was the episode ending which was far too cliché and too lame to believe. Beaver is pressed to 'just try' the Brussel sprouts. (which he has obviously been forced to do on countless previous occasions with bad results). You can probably guess by now what happens. Golly,gee-whiz,Beaver likes the Brussel sprouts,after-all!
What a lame episode,I wanted to scream. Make sure you don't have anything small around you,you might throw it at the tv! 3/10.
Youngest son Beaver is served Brussel sprouts at dinner and he makes it very clear that he doesn't like them. Instead of just making him something else to eat as a vegetable,or telling Beaver it was OK to not eat them,June turns it into a 'tug-of-war','fight-to-the-finish' situation. Beaver is told to eat the Brussel sprouts,like them or not,or he cannot go to a sporting event that the family had planned. Beaver says he'd rather stay home than eat the Brussel sprouts. In any reasonable household,an offer to stay home from a fun sporting event instead of eating Brussel sprouts would put an end to expecting that person to eat Brussel sprouts. Beaver isn't just trying to be difficult,he really doesn't like the Brussel sprouts. A last-minute compromise is pushed on Beaver so he can still go to the planned event,and Beaver half-heartedly agrees,under pressure,to eat the Brussel sprouts the next time they are served. This was a bad idea,a bad deal,and it is completely unlikely for father Ward to go along with it. This agreement solves nothing,and it only kicks the can down the road until the next time Brussel sprouts are served. Kicking any problem down the road is something that Ward Cleaver never does,it is completely out of character for him.
The family then goes to eat at a nice restaurant on the way to (or from) the sporting event,and guess what vegetable is served...Brussel sprouts ! (Of course..) Beaver doesn't want to eat them,despite the hasty agreement that he was buffaloed into making earlier. The restaurant staff,and a lady customer dining at a nearby table,all take Beaver's side in the dispute. The restaurant staff then offer some alternatives to the Brussel sprouts,ie.corn,carrots,peas,etc.
This offer is completely reasonable and should be just fine if it was actually Beaver's diet and nutrition that Mother June was worried about. As long as Beaver is eating a vegetable,any reasonable mother would be satisfied. Not June Cleaver, because she isn't being reasonable,and Ward lacks the backbone to set her straight in this episode. This is really all about June getting her way,Beaver's thoughts and feelings be damned. It is not about June's concern for Beaver's diet or his health,at all. June just HAS to be obeyed,even if it is ridiculous and unreasonable. It was disgusting,the entire dynamic of the situation and Ward's odd lack of leadership. Making it worse was father Ward allowing this to go on to begin with and then not putting a stop to it at the restaurant. The icing on the cake was the episode ending which was far too cliché and too lame to believe. Beaver is pressed to 'just try' the Brussel sprouts. (which he has obviously been forced to do on countless previous occasions with bad results). You can probably guess by now what happens. Golly,gee-whiz,Beaver likes the Brussel sprouts,after-all!
What a lame episode,I wanted to scream. Make sure you don't have anything small around you,you might throw it at the tv! 3/10.