Beaver is invited to a party for Penny Woods; and June wants Beaver to go because it will be a sweet little affair. Penny has been Beaver's perpetual tattletale/showoff for what seems forever. And when did Mr. Blair switch from teaching English to teaching history? At the end of a particular rotten class Beaver and Penny come as close to blows as possible. When Beaver arrives home, June hands him the invitation and he says he's not going to a Zombie's party. At the other side in the Wood's house, Penny is yelling at her mother for sending Beaver an invitation. Ward is all for allowing Beaver to make up his own mind; but once the Cleavers learn it's a farewell party—Beaver has to go, basically June says so.
Beaver confesses to Wally that he is actually going to miss Penny. Wally says it's just like a Cary Grant movie. Once Cary starts yelling at Doris Day, you know he's going to end up hugging her. Again, in the Woods house, Penny's mother tells her the boy she thought was the most annoying boy she ever met ended up as Penny's father. It is a "Beaver Grant" and "Penny Day" episode.
The day of the party, Beaver is dressed to the nines. The party has been a success and at the end Penny reads a poem she and her mother wrote. Pretty sappy poem. Mr. Blair volunteers Beaver into helping Penny carry her gifts out to her mother's car. As they are getting ready to go, Beaver apologies for the fight yesterday and Penny does too. Both end up admitting they are each going to miss one another after all. Beaver in a moment of weakness says he likes Penny. Penny even gives him her pencil box as a token. When June sees the pencil box, she is somewhat pleased that it is a signifier that Beaver likes a girl.
June tells Ward she thinks it's cute that Beaver actually likes Penny. Ward says he had a crush on a girl when he was Beaver's age. Her father owned a paint store, and to this day whenever he opens a can of turpentine, he thinks of Elinor. (You have to love Ward little side comments.) Then Beaver gets a phone call from Whitey, Penny's not moving, she's staying with her grandmother until the end of the year. Beaver panics. He asks Wally if he thinks Penny will blab that Beaver said he liked her. Of course, she will, she's a girl, explains Wally. Now Beaver really panics, he needs a plan.
June says she found Beaver making faces in the mirror and he wanted to know if she had any good names to call somebody. What does it mean? Ward tells her that the pencil box romance has gone sour. The next day Beaver tells Penny everything he said was a lie. She's really a rat. She says Beaver is goof, and they return to normal. Or with the subtle smile on Beaver's face, have we entered a new normal.
I gather the writers wanted to stretch Beaver's character some. I'm not sure they realize how deep the dislike for the tattletale/showoff can go. There was a girl in my grammar school who took that image to unbelievable heights. She tattled on everyone and took pleasure in it. If she could find a way to make a fellow student feel stupid, she felt obligated to do so. It's been over 50 plus years since then, and "seniors" who bump into one another will still look incensed when her name comes up. I guess you will go with the "romance" element of the episode depending on how in touch you still are with those early years, and if you recall them as happy or unhappy.
Beaver confesses to Wally that he is actually going to miss Penny. Wally says it's just like a Cary Grant movie. Once Cary starts yelling at Doris Day, you know he's going to end up hugging her. Again, in the Woods house, Penny's mother tells her the boy she thought was the most annoying boy she ever met ended up as Penny's father. It is a "Beaver Grant" and "Penny Day" episode.
The day of the party, Beaver is dressed to the nines. The party has been a success and at the end Penny reads a poem she and her mother wrote. Pretty sappy poem. Mr. Blair volunteers Beaver into helping Penny carry her gifts out to her mother's car. As they are getting ready to go, Beaver apologies for the fight yesterday and Penny does too. Both end up admitting they are each going to miss one another after all. Beaver in a moment of weakness says he likes Penny. Penny even gives him her pencil box as a token. When June sees the pencil box, she is somewhat pleased that it is a signifier that Beaver likes a girl.
June tells Ward she thinks it's cute that Beaver actually likes Penny. Ward says he had a crush on a girl when he was Beaver's age. Her father owned a paint store, and to this day whenever he opens a can of turpentine, he thinks of Elinor. (You have to love Ward little side comments.) Then Beaver gets a phone call from Whitey, Penny's not moving, she's staying with her grandmother until the end of the year. Beaver panics. He asks Wally if he thinks Penny will blab that Beaver said he liked her. Of course, she will, she's a girl, explains Wally. Now Beaver really panics, he needs a plan.
June says she found Beaver making faces in the mirror and he wanted to know if she had any good names to call somebody. What does it mean? Ward tells her that the pencil box romance has gone sour. The next day Beaver tells Penny everything he said was a lie. She's really a rat. She says Beaver is goof, and they return to normal. Or with the subtle smile on Beaver's face, have we entered a new normal.
I gather the writers wanted to stretch Beaver's character some. I'm not sure they realize how deep the dislike for the tattletale/showoff can go. There was a girl in my grammar school who took that image to unbelievable heights. She tattled on everyone and took pleasure in it. If she could find a way to make a fellow student feel stupid, she felt obligated to do so. It's been over 50 plus years since then, and "seniors" who bump into one another will still look incensed when her name comes up. I guess you will go with the "romance" element of the episode depending on how in touch you still are with those early years, and if you recall them as happy or unhappy.