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(More customer reviews)Season 8 was the final season of the Andy Griffith Show. The last episodes of this season introduced the character Sam Jones (Ken Berry) who would continue the Mayberry tradition in the series Mayberry RFD that would last three seasons and did well in the ratings until it and other rural-oriented shows were canceled. Season 8 of TAGS was the only season the legendary sitcom was rated #1. Perhaps it was known that this would be the final season, so folks tuned in knowing a good thing was about to end. I like seasons six and seven and I think the color seasons are, for the most part, terribly underrated, but season 8 is my least favorite. Reviewing the list of episodes, only "Howard the Bowler," "The Wedding," and "Goober Goes to the Auto Show" I consider to be above average. The rest are rather stale. Don Knotts makes one appearance in the rather odd episode "Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting." Here's what you get:
"Opie's First Love": Opie's big date jilts him for another guy.
"Howard the Bowler": In a bowling match between Mayberry and Mt. Pilot, Howard is one strike away from a perfect game only to have the lights go out due to a power overload. He has a day to think about it before he tries for the final strike.
"A Trip to Mexico": Aunt Bee wins a trip to Mexico and takes two of her friends. She learns that one of the best ways to lose friends is to travel with them.
"Andy's Trip to Raleigh": Another Helen blow-up episode. This time, Andy meets with a lawyer in Raleigh but doesn't let Helen know the minor detail of the lawyer being a hot female.
"Opie Steps Up in Class": Opie becomes friends with a kid from a wealthy family and Andy and Aunt Bee fear they won't be able to measure up.
"Howard's Main Event": Howard becomes friends with a girl who works at the bakery but is confronted by her ex-boyfriend (Allan Melvin).
"Aunt Bee the Juror": Jack Nicholson appears in this episode. Aunt Bee serves on a jury and is the only one who believes Nicholson's character is not guilty.
"The Tape Recorder": Opie and Arnold tape record a conversation between a prisoner and his attorney and find out the location of stolen loot. Andy refuses to listen to the tape because it goes against attorney/client confidentiality.
"Opie's Group": Opie is guitarist in a rock band and Clara warns them about the extravagance of making music the main part of one's life--and then joins the band.
"Aunt Bee and the Lecturer": Aunt Bee is creeped out when a lecturer falls for her because she reminds him of his departed wife.
"Andy's Investment": To help pay for Opie's college education, Andy moonlights as an owner of a laundromat and finds it may be more trouble than its worth. Sensing the dilemma, Opie reconsiders his future plans.
"Howard and Millie": Howard proposes to Millie (rather sudden?) and, on the train ride to visit Millie's family, find many areas where they are not compatible. You'd think Millie and Howard would've had more episodes together before this step, but I guess the series was moving things along quickly in their last season.
"Aunt Bee's Cousin": The episodes where relatives or old friends visit Aunt Bee are usually my least favorites, and this one is no exception. Aunt Bee's cousin tries to get her involved in a business venture but turns out to be all talk.
"Suppose Andy Gets Sick": Andy not having a deputy for the last two and ½ seasons was rather unrealistic and it shows in this episode. Goober makes a mess of things when he fills in for an ailing Andy.
"Howard's New Life": A rather strange episode. Howard decides to move to a Caribbean island, but soon realizes his pot of gold is back in Mayberry.
"Goober the Executive": Goober buys Wally's service station and worries he may not be cut out to be the boss.
"The Mayberry Chef": Aunt Bee stars in a cooking show and Opie and Andy find out it is much nicer eating Aunt Bee's cooking than watching it on television.
"Emmet's Brother-in-Law": Emmett's wife convinces him to join her brother's insurance agency, but his heart remains in his fix-it shop.
"Opie's Drugstore Job": At his new job at the drugstore, Opie accidentally breaks an expensive bottle of perfume and decides to buy one to replace it before his boss can find out.
"The Church Benefactors": The church committee is torn between spending its funds on repairing the church building or buying new choir robes.
"Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting": Mayberry takes on the Cold War. This episode, to me, is way over-the-top. Barney arranges for a meeting between Russian and American diplomats to take place in Mayberry, which turns out to be Andy's kitchen (another kitchen debate?).
"Goober Goes to an Auto Show": Goober meets up with an old friend who appears to be a big success, so Goober is loose with his money so as to appear a big shot and goes in over his head. Later, Goober has the chance to get revenge, but demonstrates he is a success in ways other than money.
Aunt Bee's Big Moment": Feeling like she has not accomplished much in her life, Aunt Bee takes flying lessons and prepares for her solo.
"Helen's Past": Andy finds a newspaper clipping showing Helen being arrested and decides to investigate further. When a busybody from the school board finds out, she decides Miss Crump may not be appropriate teacher material.
"Emmett's Anniversary": Emmett considers buying his wife a fur coat for their anniversary. He decides it is out of his means, but his wife learns about his plans.
"The Wedding": Howard's mother finally remarries and he fixes up his house to be a swinging bachelor pad (he sure forgot about Millie fast). The parties he puts on are very square until Emmett shows up.
"Sam for Town Council": Enter Sam Jones, a respected farmer who Andy urges to run for town council (funny, we never heard of him before until now). His opponent is Emmett.
"Opie and Mike": A bully threatens Sam's son, Mike. Opie becomes Mike's protector and Mike becomes overly dependent on Opie's friendship and is hurt when Opie's attentions turn to a new girl in town. There is a reference to the slightly controversial episode "Opie and the Bully." Sam Jones doesn't go along with Andy's idea of letting his son confront the bully.
"A Girl for Goober": A lady psychologist uses a computer match-making questionnaire for research purposes and is hooked up with Goober (they both read a lot; well, Goober reads lots of comic books anyway).
"Mayberry RFD": The characters in the next Mayberry series are introduced as Sam takes in an Italian family. Rather stereotypical, but that's how television was back then.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Final Season (1960)
It was a colorful season eighth for The Andy Griffith Show, 30 more fun-filled visits to the familiar streets of Mayberry, and to the warm-hearted folks who brought the town to life. By all accounts, this was the most successful season yet for the critically acclaimed family show.It was the top-rated half-hour of the 1966-’67 season and earned two Emmy®Awards for the supporting work of Don Knotts (as fumbling Barney Fife) and Frances Bavier (as beloved Aunt Bee).Relive your favorite Mayberry moments and join Andy (Andy Griffith), Opie (Ron Howard), Floyd (Howard McNear, in his final season) and the rest of the town for this five-disc odyssey to a time and place when mistakes, misadventures, and even disagreements eventually would work out just fine.
Click here for more information about The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Final Season (1960)
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