The New Housekeeper (TAGS Episode)

not to be confused with the "Mayberry R.F.D" episode The New Housekeeper

The New Housekeeper is the first episode of the first season and the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Although the first episode of the series, it is the second canon episode starring Andy Taylor, following the pilot episode of the series in the show's predecessor The Danny Thomas Show.

Summary

Sheriff Andy Taylor and his young son Opie are in need of a new housekeeper. Andy's Aunt Bee Taylor looks like the perfect candidate and moves in, but her presence causes friction with Opie.

Plot

Andy and Opie's beloved housekeeper Rose Pine gets married, he is performing the marriage himself inside The Courthouse and leaves Andy and Opie with no one to take care of them.

Andy calls Aunt Bee, who raised him, to come and live with them. Opie is determined not to like Aunt Bee because she isn't Rose. Andy tries to convince Opie that Aunt Bee can do everything Rose did, like play baseball, go fishing and hunt frogs, but Aunt Bee fouls up all of his attempts to make her look good.

Finally, Aunt Bee decides to leave. Opie sees her about to get in the truck and runs out to stop her. Andy is surprised and asks Opie what changed his mind. Opie replies that she needs to stay with them because she's helpless without the skills that Opie could teach her. So Aunt Bee decides to stay.

Notes/Trivia

The first line of The Andy Griffith Show: "Anybody here know why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Andy and Barney refer to each other as "cousin" in this episode. This relationship is referenced again in The Manhunt and Runaway Kid but is never referenced besides these episodes.
The pickup truck that Andy drives in this episode is never seen again in the series.
Opie mentions his dog, Gulliver. As a boy, Ron Howard had a dog named Gulliver.
Since Frances Bavier's early years were spent on the Broadway stage, it is difficult to find images of the young Aunt Bee. A framed publicity photo of the ingenue Bavier can be seen hanging in the Taylor living room. You can see it here.
When Andy and Aunt Bee are ready to leave, Opie goes outside to stop them. On the closeup shots of Andy, there is a large dent in the truck's roof that is not there in other shots of that scene.

Quotes

Opie Taylor: (to Rose when she tells him to not to leave half the milk in his bowl at breakfast) - "Ok, I won't leave half the milk. I'll leave all the milk!"

Opie Taylor: (To Andy explaining why Aunt Bee has to stay when she decides to leave) - "If she goes, what'll happen to her? She doesn't know how to do anything... play ball, catch fish, or hunt frogs. She'll be helpless! That's why she's gotta stay, so I can teach them to her!"