This was a compelling idea for an ANDY GRIFFITH episode, but the result feels a bit undercooked. If Ed Sawyer is so eager to take up residence in Mayberry and fit in with the townsfolk, why does he go around behaving in a way that will be sure to draw suspicion towards him? Who in their right mind would go about frightening people by dropping intimate details of their lives and then walking away as if nothing was wrong? Then again, perhaps Ed Sawyer ISN't in his right mind; but if so, this should have been explored further.
There's an undercurrent here about prejudice and the outsider, a common theme in '50's-era movies and TV shows (see the TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"). Andy has a speech towards the end similar to Claude Akin's in "Monsters" in which he calls out the townspeople for their prejudice towards Sawyer. But the material seems strained by the 30 minute format, and the final turn-around comes too quickly. The episode has that overly broad, simplistic feel common to many first-season TAGS episodes; the townspeople all following Andy around in a huddle mouthing close-minded clichés, for example. Yet Andy's role as the level-headed, fair, rational pillar of the community is established.
To sum up, this episode was an admirable effort to tackle a serious theme. Although it doesn't quite come off, it's still an entertaining half hour and worth seeing.
There's an undercurrent here about prejudice and the outsider, a common theme in '50's-era movies and TV shows (see the TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"). Andy has a speech towards the end similar to Claude Akin's in "Monsters" in which he calls out the townspeople for their prejudice towards Sawyer. But the material seems strained by the 30 minute format, and the final turn-around comes too quickly. The episode has that overly broad, simplistic feel common to many first-season TAGS episodes; the townspeople all following Andy around in a huddle mouthing close-minded clichés, for example. Yet Andy's role as the level-headed, fair, rational pillar of the community is established.
To sum up, this episode was an admirable effort to tackle a serious theme. Although it doesn't quite come off, it's still an entertaining half hour and worth seeing.