Ep 17. Wally's Test

Wally's Test is a heartwarming episode from the third season of the quintessential American sitcom, Leave It to Beaver. First aired on January 26, 1960, the episode presents a timeless story of growth, responsibility, and brotherhood.

The episode opens with June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) reminding her elder son, Wally (Tony Dow), of his upcoming math test. Wally, however, seems more interested in going out with his friends to play basketball. In a typical motherly fashion, June advises Wally to prioritize his studies over leisure. Wally, however, assures his mother of his competence and heads out to have some fun.

At the basketball court, Wally bumps into his younger brother, Beaver (Jerry Mathers), who is eagerly waiting for him. Beaver tells Wally about his science project and asks him to help him build a model rocket. Wally, however, is not interested and tries to shrug Beaver off. Beaver feels rejected and sulks off.

Back at home, Wally is comfortably lounging in the living room, reading a comic book. He is confident about his math test and believes that he can ace it without even studying. His father, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), hears Wally's overconfidence and reminds him of the adage that says "pride comes before a fall." Ward advises Wally to prepare well for his test as it is an important one.

Wally, however, is still nonchalant and thinks that his father is just being overprotective. Meanwhile, Beaver is struggling to work on his project alone. He accidentally drops a bottle of glue on the floor, making a mess. June sees Beaver's plight and offers her help. She tells Beaver that she will be happy to assist him with his project.

Beaver, however, feels embarrassed to let his mother help him. He worries that his classmates will ridicule him for getting his mother to do his project for him. June detects Beaver's apprehension and assures him that she will only guide him, without doing everything for him. Beaver finally agrees to take his mother's help and they start working on the rocket together.

The day of the math test arrives, and Wally goes to school feeling confident. However, during the test, he realizes that he hasn't prepared enough and struggles through the paper. He makes some careless mistakes and misses out on some key questions. After submitting his paper, he realizes that he might not have done as well as he thought.

At home, Beaver and June have finished making the rocket. Beaver is happy with how it turned out. He is excited to take it to school and show it off to his friends. But then, he remembers that he has forgotten to label it with his name and class. He panics and asks June to come with him to school to rectify his mistake.

At school, Wally is despondent after his math test. He feels that he has let down his parents, especially his father, who had advised him to prepare well. He starts to fear that he might fail in the test. Meanwhile, Beaver and June walk into the school with the rocket. Beaver goes to his classroom to present it to the teacher while June heads to the office to fill out a form for the rocket's ownership.

As she is filling out the form, June comes across Wally's math test paper, which has been kept on the secretary's desk. She sees that Wally has not done as well as he had thought and is disappointed. June realizes that Wally needs encouragement and support, not punishment.

She picks up the rocket, and together with Beaver, goes to Wally's classroom. There, they show Wally the rocket, which immediately cheers him up. Beaver tells Wally that he made the rocket with June's help, and they both feel proud of it. Wally, though surprised, is happy for Beaver and congratulates him.

June then tells Wally that she saw his math test paper and that she knows that he could do better. She tells him that she believes in him and encourages him to work hard. Wally, touched by his mother's words, feels reassured and once again realizes the importance of responsibility and hard work.

In conclusion, Wally's Test is an episode that deals with some of the universal themes of growing up. It shows how our actions have consequences and how sometimes, we need our loved ones to support us and believe in us. The episode is a testament to the wholesome and family-oriented values that Leave It to Beaver espouses, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves classic American television.