In some ways Beaver transitions to Theodore in the opener of Season 4, when he learns gifts do not take the place of a loving family. I was a little confused with the slightly shifty-looking guy who called himself "Uncle," until I realized he was a guy who hangs around the house kind of uncle (he'd make a good suspect in a Perry Mason episode).
I found Chopper's sad comment (perhaps taken a word out of context), "I see how your parents are, standing close to each other." very sensitive and even intimate - no doubt the screenplay was written by a person with a good grasp of marriage, in it's best and worst moments.
Sad, too, is Beaver left sitting on his bed, angry with the fact that all that was left of his friendship with Chopper was a new baseball glove, given to Chopper by one parent vying for the best divorced parent role - though no fault of Beaver's troubled friend, who was called home because his Mother was "weepy" again, after another argument with his father (a/k/a using the child as mediator to a bad marriage).
It's another reason people who only focus on the "Gee, Dad" isms of Beaver are ignorant of the show's many unique strong points for a sitcom of it's time.
No doubt this was one of the show's best and most meaningful episodes.
I found Chopper's sad comment (perhaps taken a word out of context), "I see how your parents are, standing close to each other." very sensitive and even intimate - no doubt the screenplay was written by a person with a good grasp of marriage, in it's best and worst moments.
Sad, too, is Beaver left sitting on his bed, angry with the fact that all that was left of his friendship with Chopper was a new baseball glove, given to Chopper by one parent vying for the best divorced parent role - though no fault of Beaver's troubled friend, who was called home because his Mother was "weepy" again, after another argument with his father (a/k/a using the child as mediator to a bad marriage).
It's another reason people who only focus on the "Gee, Dad" isms of Beaver are ignorant of the show's many unique strong points for a sitcom of it's time.
No doubt this was one of the show's best and most meaningful episodes.