Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter (TAGS Episode)

Episode Info

Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter

• S2.E9
• Filmed: 38
• Aired: 41
• Original Air Date: 1961/12/04
• Writer(s): Ben Gershman and Leo Solomon
• Director: Bob Sweeney

Plot Summary

Aunt Bee falls for traveling handyman Henry Wheeler. Andy soon realizes Wheeler is not as nice as he seems. So before things get out of hand, Andy explains patiently to Wheeler that he would not want his Aunt Bee hurt by any false promises. To emphasize the point, Andy holds the conversation on the porch while he cleans his shotgun. Wheeler prudently decides it is time to leave Mayberry.

Summary

The episode begins with Aunt Bee Taylor encountering a traveling handyman named Henry Wheeler. Wheeler, a smooth-talking drifter, notices aphids on the Taylors' rose bushes while driving by and offers to treat them. Aunt Bee, impressed by his apparent expertise and gentlemanly demeanor, hires him to do some yard work. Andy, however, is immediately suspicious.

When Andy comes home for lunch and finds Wheeler spraying the roses, he questions the handyman's intentions. Aunt Bee defends Wheeler. To Andy's surprise, Wheeler charges only $1.60 for his day's work, claiming he could have asked for $1.75 but prefers to be fair. This reasonable fee temporarily allays Andy's concerns.

Wheeler then asks if he can park his truck in the Taylors' driveway overnight, explaining that he lives out of it, cooking meals on a small stove and sleeping in a sleeping bag. Feeling sympathetic, Aunt Bee and Andy insist he join them for dinner and stay in their spare bedroom. Wheeler, sensing an opportunity, suggests he could stay an extra day to tackle other chores, such as fixing loose shingles on the roof. Aunt Bee, clearly smitten with the charming bachelor, is delighted by the idea.

Wheeler ingratiates himself into the Taylor household, enjoying Aunt Bee's home-cooked meals and cozy accommodations. However, he avoids doing any significant work, citing ailments like lumbago or taking Aunt Bee on outings, such as a picnic, while Andy ends up handling the chores Wheeler was supposed to do, like painting. Aunt Bee's affection for Wheeler grows, and she begins to dress up and behave as if a romance is blossoming, much to Andy's chagrin.

The turning point comes when the town's mailman, observing Wheeler's soft hands—unusual for a supposed handyman—remarks on it to Andy. This comment reignites Andy's suspicions. He calls the sheriff of nearby Mt. Pilot, who reveals that Wheeler, known as "Goldbrick" Wheeler, has a reputation for charming older, single women like Aunt Bee, freeloading off their hospitality, and then disappearing once he's well-fed and rested.

Determined to protect Aunt Bee, Andy devises a plan. That evening, while cleaning his double-barrel shotgun on the porch, he casually talks to Wheeler, hinting that he expects a marriage proposal "very soon" and that he'd be devastated if anyone hurt his aunt—pointing the shotgun at Wheeler for emphasis. The implied threat works: a panicked Wheeler sneaks out to his truck and speeds away without saying goodbye.

Andy gently breaks the news to Aunt Bee, who is heartbroken and tearful, lamenting that drifters like Wheeler are too restless to settle down. She reflects, "They miss so much," referring to the stability and love of a home. Andy consoles her, and they go inside to have supper, preserving her dignity by not revealing Wheeler's true nature.

In the episode's epilogue, another handyman, Mr. Murray, arrives at the Taylor home, and Aunt Bee nearly falls for the same routine. However, seeing Andy's disapproving look, she quickly dismisses the new handyman, indicating she's learned a small lesson—though her trusting nature remains intact.

Odd Facts Known by Few

• This episode features the only appearance of "George Bricker", the postman, played by Doodles Weaver, uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver. He returns later, as Regis, the ultra-libertarian, in "A Black Day for Mayberry" (S4.E7). Doodles real name: Winstead Sheffield Weaver.

• Actor Edgar Buchanan was a dentist before he was an actor.

• The episode’s title, "Aunt Bee’s Brief Encounter," is a nod to the 1945 film Brief Encounter by Noël Coward, which tells of a fleeting romantic connection. The reference adds a layer of sophistication to the episode’s premise.

• • The film Brief Encounter (1945) featured a plot that was not very Mayberry friendly. Here's the summary: At a café on a railway station, housewife Laura Jesson meets Dr. Alec Harvey. Although they are both already married, they gradually fall in love with each other. They continue to meet every Thursday in the small café, although they know that their love is impossible.

• The episode features the first noticeable use of incessant chirping bird sounds (real or sound effects) in outdoor scenes, a recurring element in the series. Additionally, the flower bushes along the Taylor sidewalk appear only in this episode.

• The license plate on Wheeler’s truck, "DC 269," and the plate on Mr. Murray’s truck, "VT 772," were reused throughout the series on different vehicles.

• The fact that Mr. Wheeler said he noticed the aphids on the Rose bushes from the road should have been more of a red flag for Andy but perhaps the reasonable cost he was charging to spray them threw him off.

• Andy parks on the wrong side of the road when he pulls up in front of his house at the beginning of this episode.

• Don Knotts does not appear in this episode, despite being credited.

• The badge number on George Bricker's (Doodles Weaver) United States Postal Service cap is #263. US postal regulations from 1922-1982 specified postal carriers display their badge on head gear. From 1983 on, this was no longer required.

• When Andy is speaking on the telephone with the sheriff of Mt. Pilot, a gun rack is visible in the background. This is the identical gun rack that is usually positioned in the Mayberry Sheriff's Office, which would suggest that the Mayberry Sheriff's Office set was doubled to represent the Mt. Pilot Sheriff's Office.

• Aunt Bee says she moved to Peoria with her family when she was 18 years old and "skinny". The series establishes in later episodes that Bee had a baby sister, Nora. Bee had at least one brother, Andy's father.

Character List

• Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
• Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
• Frances Bavier - Aunt Bee Taylor
• Edgar Buchanan - Henry Wheeler
• Doodles Weaver - George Bricker
• George Cisar - Sheriff Mitchell
• Sherwood Keith - handyman, Mr. Murray