User Reviews

Ward letting Beaver run away without going after him is one of the most memorable scenes in classic sitcom history. Once again Larry gets Beaver in trouble. Larry's almost as bad as Eddie leading the Cleaver kids astray. Not a lot of laughs ending season one. More about lessons learned.

Ward is using his new drill but when he needs his clamps, they're missing because Wally loaned them to Eddie. Ward takes off with Wally, Beaver is waiting for Larry Mondello. When Larry shows up he wants to use Ward's new drill and does, and in so doing drills right through the garage. As soon as Beaver says his father will be mad, Larry takes off and takes Beaver with him.

When Ward gets home it's not difficult to figure out what happened. Beaver comes home about suppertime and June makes him talk to Ward. Beaver tries to foist everything off on Larry and Beaver decides Ward is unfair and says he is going away and won't be trouble for anyone.

Beaver tells Wally he is running away to be a pirate or a tramp. Beaver comes downstairs with his stuff in a pillow case, he's leaving home. Ward and Beaver share several goodbyes and a handshake. Wally laughs and tells his dad that Beaver said he's going to be a pirate, wooden leg and all. June says if Beaver becomes a pirate and comes back with a wooden leg that she will never speak to Ward again.

Beaver is sitting outside going over a number of scenarios where he is promised a TV, ice cream, etc. to come home. June is having one of her hysterical breakdowns screaming that Beaver is starving. Beaver is at the Mondello's having dinner.

Larry wants to know what happened and what is Beaver going to do. Beaver doesn't know, no one came after him. June has driven all over the neighborhood and couldn't find Beaver. June wants to call the police. Ward decides to call the Mondello home because Beaver was playing with Larry earlier. Beaver is there, had dinner, now eating a desert. What do you know? Ward was right all along, Beaver didn't go far. June is driving over to pick him up. Wally has a talk with Ward on how Beaver can save face.

Beaver walks in and apologizes to Ward for running away. But Beaver wants to know why Ward didn't come after him.

Ward decides to buy the boys their own tools for projects of their own. So Beaver can, as Wally says, drill his own holes into the garage.

Not a good episode on several levels. First, Beaver is wrong and has been wrong before for listening to Larry; and he will listen to Larry in the future. We have to begin to wonder if Beaver will ever develop common sense. Second, June and the hysteric responses have to go. She is a responsible adult but throws childlike tantrums. Third, Beaver is the second child and as such generally doesn't get the limelight, they just try to share the older siblings' popularity. Ask anyone who had a little brother.Fourth, while showing up for lunch was a normal event, any mother would call to see if it was alright to stay for dinner, even Mrs. Mondello. Yes, it's a 50's comedy, but I never knew of any mother in my neighborhood who would have panicked as quickly and as often as June does. Our mothers would have been arrested for child abuse. Come Saturday or summer, the command was get out of the house and play. Be home by suppertime. Yes,We ate lunch. We would waltz in some mom's kitchen, find the Wonder Bread, some bologna, and mustard, make a sandwich and vanish once again. And if we had "friends" like Larry or Eddie, they would have been on a short leash.