The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1/ Episode 5: Irresistible Andy. October 31, 1960. 1 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS.

Andy invites Ellie to a church dance. The more he thinks about it he convinces himself that she has alternative motives- that she is trying to trap him into marriage. Andy gets scared and lines up three of Mayberry’s most eligible bachelors to go after Ellie so he can spring himself out of this marriage trap.

This episode is really annoying- due mainly to Andy Griffith/ Andy Taylor. Overacting in that hick Andy voice which he still hasn’t gotten rid of – he is still 5 seasons in trying to be the funny man. In one of the most annoying scenes in the series -after getting the date with Ellie- he is explaining to Aunt Bee how he asked her and she was just swept off of her feet- the more he talks he starts to realize that she answered before he even asked. Andy keeps talking and his talk completely changes around to- Ellie and her Uncle Fred were trapping him- and the goal is marriage. This scene has always been painful to watch- it seems to go on forever. I watch each episode twice before writing on it- and timed this monologue the second time- it went on for 4 minutes and 40 seconds. It seemed like it would never end. Then Opie walks in with an ice cream cone which Ellie had given him at the drug store- and that gets Andy going again. This entire scene is so out of character with the Andy Taylor character we would know for most of this series. The fake exaggerated hick talking and he is so full of himself.

The best scene in this episode is when Opie goes and tells Ellie what Andy had said about her. When Andy comes in she acts sweet to Andy- and she is going to make him a soda- and mixes in mustard, milk of magnesia and castor oil! She ends up calling Andy ‘arrogant, conceded, big headed, two faced, underhanded.” all words that fit. I love how she puts him in his place. She then says she will go to the church dance with the first unattached man who walks in the door- and of course it is Barney. Andy then changes his outlook and wants to win Ellie back- and in the end Andy, Opie and Ellie end up going to the dance.

• Barney makes his first appearance in what would become his famous ‘salt and pepper’ suit in this episode. This is also the first time Barney appears out of uniform.
• The three eligible bachelors which Andy sends on Ellie’s trail- Pete Johnson- who was told that Ellie liked his eyelashes, Franklin Pomeroy- who was told that Ellie liked his nose and Charlie Beasley who was told Ellie liked his muscles- all of them are never seen again in the series. That whole scene with those three along with Andy make this episode a turkey.
• This is a series running theme with Andy- the fear of commitment. He will eventually get into a long term relationship with Helen Grump- I mean Helen Crump but he seems fearful of the relationship getting too serious. In this episode he obviously thinks pretty well of himself.
• Again there is a reference to Andy and Barney being cousins- which is soon dropped. Also Barney says he’s been on the force for a year and a half- these times will also wildly vary as the series goes on.

CAST

Andy Griffith- Sheriff Andy Taylor

Don Knotts- Deputy Barney Fife

Rony Howard- Opie Taylor

Frances Bavier- Aunt Bee Taylor

Eilnor Donahue- Ellie Walker

Henry Antrim- Fred Walker

Robert Easton- Pete Johnson

Bill Mullikin- Franklin Pomeroy

Ray Lanier- Charley Beasley

Directed by Don Weis

Written by David Adler