Class Reunion

You've heard the phrase: you can't go back". It's catchy and in it is some kind of bigger universal truth we'll all face on different levels. Here's another popular phrase: "time waits for no one". Time is the separator of what was, what is, and what will be. I can see why Pink Floyd wrote a song simply about it on an elemental level. It's a constant that all of existence must bow to. Well, enough of that and back to that you can't go back. In fact, you can, and folks constantly do with functions like class reunions. In the end what the bottom line is you can't go back save for all those great, even painful, memories...but, you must move forward as that is what life is all about. Great episode that makes one ponder a big question.

The high school reunion theme will be used again in "The Return of Barney Fife". It will click better, and be much funnier. The nostalgia of the high school days and the camaraderie of Andy and Barney are highlights of this episode. But, the reunion humor is forced and stalls. The simply dreadfully written meeting of Andy & Sharon is one of the series worst scenes.

This episode has everything that makes the Griffith show so enjoyable to watch starting with an event that brings the towns people together. Barney and Andy start reminiscing when they find Barney's old high school yearbook, and wonder what happened to all their schoolmates. This leads to a plan to have a high school reunion, so those that are still in town send out invitations to those that have moved on and the anticipation begins.

Of course, one of those who left town after high school is Andy's original high school sweetheart who now lives in the big city. By the time of the reunion, no one has heard from her so Andy's feeling a little disappointed, but the celebration goes on anyway with live music and dancing.

Andy and Barney are manning the punch bowl and refreshments table trying to recognize everyone based on memory and usually goofing up their names thanks to Barney misreading the photos in the yearbook. There is also a funny side story about a girl that wrote a loving verse in Barney's yearbook who is now married with children and has no recollection of him whatsoever. Eventually, Andy's high school sweetheart arrives at the entrance to the party, and he spies her from across the room. The two dance and talk before going outside to the garden to reminisce. It doesn't take long for the old flame to rekindle, and eventually we learn Andy's philosophy of happiness. And then ,of course we also learn that everyone's interpretation of happiness is different.

A very good episode with an insightful message and as usual lots of funny scenes and funny asides.

In this episode, Andy is reunited with his high school sweetheart. We learn that they drifted apart after high school. At some point after that, Andy fell in love with a nameless woman, married her, had a son with her, and lost her for unknown reasons. The interesting thing is while Andy and his old girlfriend are catching up, there is no mention of his son or lost wife. At some points in the series, it's almost like it never happened.

This one episode contains much of what made The Andy Griffith show great even though it doesn't have appearances by Opie or Aunt Bee. How? Because it has perfect examples of the show's humor (Barney's landlady growing mushrooms in her basement 'for fun and profit') but also more serious moments, such as when Andy meets his old high school flame at their class reunion. They wonder why they ever broke up, but as they discuss old times and current days, they remember that they split up over having different goals and dreams for the future. Meanwhile, Barney was anticipating seeing his old heart throb and hoping she won't make a fool of herself when she sees him. Quite the contrary, she doesn't recognize him, in fact she doesn't even remember him.

The episode ends with Andy and Barney cleaning up after the reunion, and sort of re-capping the evening. Barney says it makes him kind of sad, seeing the people they went to school with, and how they're all getting older. Repeating a phrase that had been written in one of their high school yearbooks, Andy asks Barney, "Do the tears on your pillow bespeak the pain that's in your heart?" Barney kind of chuckles, but wistfully says "Yeah..." and Andy says "Me too." After a moment's pause to reflect, they get back to their clean-up. That's the ending of the episode, and probably one of the finest ones that ever aired.