This is a much discussed episode among LEAVE IT TO BEAVER fans for its ethical questions. Was June wrong for insisting that Aunt Martha and her friend stay and destroy Wally and Beaver's afternoon plans? Or were Beaver and Wally correct to sacrifice their plans in order to make their aunt happy? Or was the real problem the sour attitude the boys had about the whole thing? The episode offers much food for thought.
The other reviewer gets one important detail wrong. June does NOT insist, in front of Aunt Martha, that the boys have no plans. In fact, it's Wally who does this, no doubt out of a sense of duty. He could just have well said, "Well, Aunt Martha, as a matter of fact we were planning to go to the carnival," and Aunt Martha would no doubt have understood.
What the other reviewer gets right is the frustration inherent in the episode. Its message could be read that we must sacrifice of ourselves to make others happy, even when it seems pointless. To be sure, the two elderly ladies' conversation is inane and even somewhat embarrassing for the boys (talking about how Wally was swelled up with the mumps, for example). But we must take it on faith that this sort of familial chatter was important to Aunt Martha. Above all, we should have a good attitude about such a situation. It was nice that the Cleavers did get to go to the carnival in the end.
The other reviewer gets one important detail wrong. June does NOT insist, in front of Aunt Martha, that the boys have no plans. In fact, it's Wally who does this, no doubt out of a sense of duty. He could just have well said, "Well, Aunt Martha, as a matter of fact we were planning to go to the carnival," and Aunt Martha would no doubt have understood.
What the other reviewer gets right is the frustration inherent in the episode. Its message could be read that we must sacrifice of ourselves to make others happy, even when it seems pointless. To be sure, the two elderly ladies' conversation is inane and even somewhat embarrassing for the boys (talking about how Wally was swelled up with the mumps, for example). But we must take it on faith that this sort of familial chatter was important to Aunt Martha. Above all, we should have a good attitude about such a situation. It was nice that the Cleavers did get to go to the carnival in the end.