This was mostly a good and funny episode but it had one rather serious flaw in it. The major flaw is that Beaver was pretty rotten here and there was a serious lesson that should have been impressed upon the young Beaver but unfortunately his parents Ward and June dropped the ball here,big-time.
What in the world am I talking about? Let me try to explain. Older brother Wally has a birthday coming up and a small party is being planned. The whole situation turns into a major disaster. The thing that gets the ball rolling is Beaver getting the idea that his big brother Wally is going to go to the movies with his pals but Beaver isn't going to be invited. This sets the stage for Beaver selfishly spending most of the money that was earmarked for Wally's present,on something for himself instead.
While Beaver is out shopping for Wally's birthday present, Beaver gets egged-on by his pal Larry to spend most of Wally's birthday-present money on himself. Beaver buys his brother Wally a cheap toy that would be better-suited for a younger child. Then,the expensive item that Beaver buys for himself ends-up getting broken before it is ever used. Next,the cheap toy Beaver gives to Wally looks particularly chintzy compared to the great gifts that everyone else gives to Wally,so Beaver looks and feels pretty silly. The parents start to piece-together the actual facts and confront Beaver. The Beaver admits to most of what happened, leaving out the part about him breaking the expensive item he bought for himself. The matter is eventually settled but Beaver ends-up getting very-little punishment for what he did. Beaver was sneaky, dishonest,he lied,he was selfish,and he was irresponsible.
For all of this,Beaver suffers practically no consequences.
Most of the basic story here was good,it was funny,and it was pretty-believable. The only problem was with the odd lack of punishment,and not even a stern lecture from the parents. This lenient, nonchalant parental dynamic seems oddly out of character for the typically staid and solid Ward and June Cleaver. Beaver surely had a serious lecture coming to him and some sort of a meaningful punishment-but he somehow received very-little of either.
This is a good episode with a believability problem. 7/10.
What in the world am I talking about? Let me try to explain. Older brother Wally has a birthday coming up and a small party is being planned. The whole situation turns into a major disaster. The thing that gets the ball rolling is Beaver getting the idea that his big brother Wally is going to go to the movies with his pals but Beaver isn't going to be invited. This sets the stage for Beaver selfishly spending most of the money that was earmarked for Wally's present,on something for himself instead.
While Beaver is out shopping for Wally's birthday present, Beaver gets egged-on by his pal Larry to spend most of Wally's birthday-present money on himself. Beaver buys his brother Wally a cheap toy that would be better-suited for a younger child. Then,the expensive item that Beaver buys for himself ends-up getting broken before it is ever used. Next,the cheap toy Beaver gives to Wally looks particularly chintzy compared to the great gifts that everyone else gives to Wally,so Beaver looks and feels pretty silly. The parents start to piece-together the actual facts and confront Beaver. The Beaver admits to most of what happened, leaving out the part about him breaking the expensive item he bought for himself. The matter is eventually settled but Beaver ends-up getting very-little punishment for what he did. Beaver was sneaky, dishonest,he lied,he was selfish,and he was irresponsible.
For all of this,Beaver suffers practically no consequences.
Most of the basic story here was good,it was funny,and it was pretty-believable. The only problem was with the odd lack of punishment,and not even a stern lecture from the parents. This lenient, nonchalant parental dynamic seems oddly out of character for the typically staid and solid Ward and June Cleaver. Beaver surely had a serious lecture coming to him and some sort of a meaningful punishment-but he somehow received very-little of either.
This is a good episode with a believability problem. 7/10.