The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) Opie's First Love (1967) User Reviews

Opie's the Cool One

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 6 January 2020]

It's the old tale of a guy with no sense of fairness taking your girlfriend away. Usually, they are good looking and shallow. Here, Opie gets a lesson in that very type when the girl he asked to a party jumps at the chance to go with someone else. This does play out well because Ron Howard does a really nice job. Things are understated but effective.

Opie's Rite of Passage

[AudioFileZ · 8/10 · 21 January 2024]

The eighth season starts with Opies entrance into that tender age where it's suddenly hard to talk to girls even while it becomes an exponentially important part in a youngster's self image and awareness. I think in that first year of high school us guys sense our female classmates are becoming more interested in the upper class boys making things suddenly tougher. All of this is happening to Opie as he is pursuing a crush as his date to buddy Arnold's birthday party. You gotta love how Opie is feeling insecure to ask his crush, but when she accepts he becomes totally upbeat and confident. That confidence is tender like the age. I think for many of us this stirs up a certain rite of passage in the process of growing up and how brittle it can be. Truly a good idea for the show that really hasn't ever been explored unlike many episodes that have bits and pieces recycled. After a bit of some uncharacteristic early-on ribbing by Andy (and Goober for good measure) it seems it's all coming together nicely when Opie's crush accepts his invitation to be his date, setting up a life lesson. When the chips are down though Andy becomes Opie's true support and confidant. Opie, sensing his dad's advice is spot-on, grows a foot taller. Since this is Mayberry, things take a turn for the best while mimicking something relatable. All in all, a somewhat touching and quite entertaining episode.

Weak start to season 8

[vitoscotti · 3/10 · 21 August 2022]

Andy & Goober are uncharacteristic in their creepy teasing of Opie. Many of Opie's classmates are noticeably older than he is. Morgan Brittany is 2 years older and a foot taller. Dry as dust Owen Bush is just as bland as a clothier than he was as a printer. Only semi-funny parts are the end and epilogue with the double dating. Almost looked like a pilot for a new show with all the new students shipped in.