Man in a Hurry is also a favorite episode of mine. It really presents a timeless lesson from which we all can learn, regardless of whether we are living in the sixties or nineties. My favorite scene is when Malcolm Tucker, whose car has broken down just outside of Mayberry, has had about all he can take. He has been shunned by Wally the mechanic, Gomer has been absolutely no help, and he can’t even place a phone call because the Mendlebright sisters are using the only public line out. Just as the Taylor family and Barney are sitting down to Sunday dinner, Malcolm explodes: "You people are living in another world! This is the Twentieth Century don’t you realize that? The whole world is living in a desperate space age. Men are orbiting the earth, international television has been developed, and here, a whole town is standing still because two old women’s feet fall asleep!" I’ve always loved that scene. This episode shows how easy it is for us to make our lives so needlessly complicated.
Probably my favorite scene of the entire series is in the episode, Opie the Birdman. In this episode, Opie accidentally kills a mother bird while playing with his slingshot. Opie then takes it upon himself to care for the three babies since it was his fault that the mother wasn’t coming back. Opie approaches the situation with much enthusiasm and soon the whole family is caught up with the birds. Finally, the time comes to set the birds free. It isn’t easy for Opie, but he knows it’s the right thing to do. After successfully releasing all three birds, Opie looks down at the cage and says: "The cage sure does look empty don’t it Pa?" Andy replies: "Yes, son it does. But don’t the trees seem nice and full." The scene widens to include Opie and Andy looking up at the trees with the glorious sound of the birds singing, then closes with Andy putting his arm around Opie and leading him back into the house. I have seen that scene at least one hundred times, and it touches me every time.
Why the Show is Special to Me