If it isn't' Eddie and Lumpy trying to get Beaver into trouble, it's Beaver's own friends. Gilbert, Richard, and Beaver are trying to figure out what to do: "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" Richard suggests they go over to the old McMahon house, but Beaver begs off saying his father doesn't want him there. Ward has something to do too: he is now part of the mayor's committee for the new youth center.
Richard and Gilbert head over and start throwing rocks to break windows. When a cop comes by, he snags Richard who claims to be Theodore Cleaver. And you know where this is going. By-the-way, Wally wants to go on a cross country bus tour for the summer with Eddie (But this goes nowhere in this episode).
Here we go, the police, Lt. Barnes and Officer Medford, call Ward to ask if they can come over. Ward figures it's because of committee work, but it's to report the Beaver for vandalism. It's a good thing the arresting officer is coming over, but Beaver might be in a tight spot: should he tell them his friends had claimed they were heading to the house? Beaver is looking forward to seeing the policemen in the house as a sort of adventure. So is Ward, until the shoe drops. Ward is visually stunned at the news. When he is called to come downstairs, Beaver still thinks he is being rewarded, maybe he won something. Now it's serious. Of course, the officer knows Beaver isn't the boy, but does Beaver know who it was? Beaver doesn't want to implicate anyone; but again upstairs and while talking to Wally, Beaver figures out who did it and has a plan. If Richard (Beaver's choice) see Beaver at school and says sorry, then OK; but if he says, what's new, he will sock him.
But in a discussion with Ward, with Wally on the sidelines, Beaver let's his opinion out. Wally says Beaver had no choice, he couldn't let a guy get away with stuff like that. Richard apologies and is just worried if they will still be friends. Beaver say's yes but points out Richard acting like a rat. And as we close, the boys are back asking: "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" And the childhood universe is back to normal.
Again, a very relevant episode as many struggle with the issue of reporting someone they know. At work, it might ostracize you as a whistle blower. In other contexts of fear and retribution, it's "snitches get stitches." In politics, you might be a "leaker." We all know someone who did wrong; but even today, we are unwilling to stand up. Even today, a real dilemma.
Richard and Gilbert head over and start throwing rocks to break windows. When a cop comes by, he snags Richard who claims to be Theodore Cleaver. And you know where this is going. By-the-way, Wally wants to go on a cross country bus tour for the summer with Eddie (But this goes nowhere in this episode).
Here we go, the police, Lt. Barnes and Officer Medford, call Ward to ask if they can come over. Ward figures it's because of committee work, but it's to report the Beaver for vandalism. It's a good thing the arresting officer is coming over, but Beaver might be in a tight spot: should he tell them his friends had claimed they were heading to the house? Beaver is looking forward to seeing the policemen in the house as a sort of adventure. So is Ward, until the shoe drops. Ward is visually stunned at the news. When he is called to come downstairs, Beaver still thinks he is being rewarded, maybe he won something. Now it's serious. Of course, the officer knows Beaver isn't the boy, but does Beaver know who it was? Beaver doesn't want to implicate anyone; but again upstairs and while talking to Wally, Beaver figures out who did it and has a plan. If Richard (Beaver's choice) see Beaver at school and says sorry, then OK; but if he says, what's new, he will sock him.
But in a discussion with Ward, with Wally on the sidelines, Beaver let's his opinion out. Wally says Beaver had no choice, he couldn't let a guy get away with stuff like that. Richard apologies and is just worried if they will still be friends. Beaver say's yes but points out Richard acting like a rat. And as we close, the boys are back asking: "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" And the childhood universe is back to normal.
Again, a very relevant episode as many struggle with the issue of reporting someone they know. At work, it might ostracize you as a whistle blower. In other contexts of fear and retribution, it's "snitches get stitches." In politics, you might be a "leaker." We all know someone who did wrong; but even today, we are unwilling to stand up. Even today, a real dilemma.
