So I've only recently discovered that most, if not all, of Mayberry RFD is on YouTube.  Since I can now access YouTube via X-Box Live I can watch episodes on my television - not the greatest quality and obviously subjected to TV Land's ridiculous edits - but still, it's fun seeing things happen in Mayberry that I haven't seen a hundred times before. 

Was particularly excited to see the two episodes that feature Andy.  Have been wanting to see Andy and Helen get married for the longest time.  Was totally put out that yet again the writers chose to make Barney look like an idiot.  He had no lines, or practically no lines, and his bufoonery was both unrealistic and annoying, not to mention totally out of character.  What a shame to waste, totally waste, what could have been and should have been an endearing, emotional moment in the life of the series. 

The second was the episode that introduced Andy Taylor Jr. (seriously, is that the best name they could come up with?).  Again - instead of taking the opportunity to create another timeless Mayberry moment with Barney as the rightful Godfather, they went for cheap laughs that fell flat.  Not only that, but did it not occur to anyone that an ENTIRE EPISODE of the original series focused on Andy meeting Helen for the first time and Goober was nowhere to be found?  (Goober stated several times that he should be the Godfather of Andy Jr. because he introduced Andy to Helen..pfffft, whatever).

Bottom line - the same weak, knock off writing that plagued the last three seasons of TAGS, that wasted every opportunity, from having Barney and Thelma Lou have their deserved happily ever after to creating great, meaningful moments between long time characters like Barney and Andy, plagued Mayberry RFD.  I've seen most of them, I can check them off my list, my chances of ever watching them again...zero.

Mister Bass wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 8:16am:

Have been wanting to see Andy and Helen get married for the longest time.  Was totally put out that yet again the writers chose to make Barney look like an idiot.  He had no lines, or practically no lines, and his bufoonery was both unrealistic and annoying, not to mention totally out of character.

The scene at the end though, with Barney interloping on their honeymoon, is priceless!

I've never thought about this before.  TAGS went through the trouble of getting Don Knotts to guest star for that second HS reunion episode.  They also got Betty Lynn to return as Thelma Lou.  Why in the world did they waste getting both of them on an episode that ended the relationship between the two of them?

They could have so easily written an episode in which Barney and Thelma Lou got married.  It wasn't as if either Don or Betty Lynn were going to return to TAGS on a regular basis.  They wouldn't have had to have worried about having one of them back full time without the other.

Really a terrible waste.

I wasn't aware that RFD is available on YouTube.  I've been wanting to watch those episodes for a long time.  I'll check it out.  Thanks for the info Mister Bass!

It's been a long time since I last watched the Andy & Helen Get Married episode, but I remember thinking it was odd that Opie hadn't yet met his about-to-be step-grandfather until the wedding. When he asked who that man was who was walking Helen down the aisle, he had to be told it was her father.

As for the three godfathers, I always took that plot device to be a nod to the famous John Wayne movie "3 Godfathers".

Does anyone know why Mayberry RFD is not shown somewhere on cable TV? The subject may have come up a while back, but I forget any answer to the question. That high school reunion show had the worst concept for the script of any episode. What were they thinking? 

A lot of interesting facts about the characters can be gleaned from RFD. I learned Goober has a sister, and a brother who works for, as unbelievable as it sounds, NASA.

Keevy Hazelton wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 11:43am:

A lot of interesting facts about the characters can be gleaned from RFD. I learned Goober has a sister, and a brother who works for, as unbelievable as it sounds, NASA.

Howard has a sister too, and a Walden-esque nephew.  I don't know if it was ever stated [on TAGS] that Howard wasn't an only child, but the relationship with his mother implied that he was.

Stop beatin' around the bush Mister Bass.  Tell us how you really feel. (tongue in cheek)

I find it wholly believable that Goober had a NASA employed brother.  In fact, Goober, was quite mechanically inclined.  With a bit of training, I'm sure he could have been a rocket scientist.

Then again, Knotts's Roy Flemming, worked for NASA as well.  You might say he was cleaning up in the space business.  ;D