Summary[]
Aunt Bee has hired Mr. Wheeler to help around the Taylor home. Aunt Bee is quite taken with him but Andy sees through his plan.
Plot[]
Andy comes home for lunch one day and finds a strange man
Mr. Wheeler Spraying the Roses
spraying goo on his roses. Aunt Bee tells him that the man noticed that they had aphids on their rose bushes and Andy immediately becomes suspicious. Knowing Aunt Bee's propensity for falling for every pitchman that comes along, Andy suggests that they're being ripped off, but it's clear that Aunt Bee enjoys the company of an eligible bachelor, even for a few hours, and Andy drops his protest. Later that evening, Andy realizes he was wrong about being ripped off when the handyman, Mr. Wheeler, only charges $1.60 for his day's work, saying he could have charged $1.75.
After he's paid, Mr. Wheeler asks Andy if he can park overnight in the driveway as his truck also serves as his temporary home. He cooks his meals over a little stove and sleeps in a sleeping bag in the back of the truck. Of course, Aunt Bee and Andy insist that he have dinner with them and use their spare bedroom. Furthermore, Mr. Wheeler suggests that he can stay on an extra day and do some other odd jobs, like fixing some loose shingles on the roof.
Andy Does Most of the Work
A few days later, Mr. Wheeler is still holed up in the Taylor's spare bedroom, enjoying three homemade meals a day, and oddly enough, not doing any real work. Between his lumbago and sudden needs to take Aunt Bee places, it seems that Andy is really doing all the work. When the mailman notes how peculiar it is for a handyman to have such soft hands (while his own hands have become sore and calloused), Andy finally becomes suspicious. He phones the sheriff of Mt. Pilot and discovers that Henry "Goldbrick" Wheeler has a notorious reputation for weaseling his way into the affections of older, single women like Aunt Bee, freeloading, then just up and disappearing when he's good and fed.
That evening Andy decides to take care of the situation: while cleaning his double-barrel shotgun, Andy explains to Mr. Wheeler that he expects a marriage proposal very soon, that very night in fact. Furthermore, he doesn't know what he would do to the man that would hurt his Aunt Bee (he says this with his shotgun aimed at Mr. Wheeler). Andy's scheme works as an exasperated Mr. Wheeler sneaks off to his truck and speeds out, never to be seen again. Andy breaks the news to Aunt Bee, who is tearful and heartbroken, but realizes that men like Mr. Wheeler can't be tied down. Andy consoles her and they go inside to eat supper.
Notes/Trivia[]
- First episode featuring the incessant chirping birds (real or sound effects?) that repeat throughout the series, especially those with woodsy scenes.
- The fact that Mr. Wheeler said he noticed the aphids on the Rose bushes should have been a red flag for Andy, perhaps the amount of money he charged threw him off.
- Don Knotts does not appear in this episode, despite being credited.
- Guest Star: Edgar Buchanan - Known for playing Joseph "Uncle Joe" Carson on Petticoat Junction
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