Penny Woods filled the role that Judy Hensler had played in the first few seasons of LITB, that of the goody-goody tattle-tale and know-it-all who was Beaver's classroom antagonist. In contrast to Judy, Penny was blonde, cute and had high-class pretensions; she participated in horse shows and planned to attend Vassar. There was friction between her and Beaver, but also the tentative stirrings of attraction. Theirs was a love/hate relationship, and as such was a more complex relationship than that between Beaver and Judy.
It seems that Penny is moving away to Bellport. She has a going-away party at school, and she and Beaver share a farewell moment after class that threatens to spill into what Beaver and his comrades would term "mushy stuff." (Beaver tells Penny he guesses he kinda likes her, Penny tells Beaver he's cute.) But when it turns out that Penny isn't moving after all, Beaver is embarrassed and mortified in light of what they said to each other! How will he restore the equilibrium?
Puppy-love stories carried out with subtlety and restraint were a staple of the series, and this is a memorable example. By rights, Beaver and Penny should have become an "item" by the end of the series, but unfortunately the actress who played Penny gradually disappeared from the show.
It seems that Penny is moving away to Bellport. She has a going-away party at school, and she and Beaver share a farewell moment after class that threatens to spill into what Beaver and his comrades would term "mushy stuff." (Beaver tells Penny he guesses he kinda likes her, Penny tells Beaver he's cute.) But when it turns out that Penny isn't moving after all, Beaver is embarrassed and mortified in light of what they said to each other! How will he restore the equilibrium?
Puppy-love stories carried out with subtlety and restraint were a staple of the series, and this is a memorable example. By rights, Beaver and Penny should have become an "item" by the end of the series, but unfortunately the actress who played Penny gradually disappeared from the show.