A Wife for Andy

Barney walks in on Andy in the courthouse back room patching Opie up after a schoolyard brawl - more playing than fighting apparently - and decides then and there that Andy should get remarried. He won't take no for an answer from Andy - he hasn't found the right girl yet. So Barnie tells half the town's young women that Thelma Lou had a message of vital importance to deliver to them...in Andy's living room....without telling Andy anything about it. The whole idea is to get Andy access to so many young women at one time so he could look them over. Andy is not amused.

But the next day Barnie sees Andy walking along with Opie's schoolteacher, Helen Crump. He decides to set things up so that both of them come to dinner at Thelma Lou's house. But this is where Barney has buyer's remorse. Helen admits she is not a good cook and that she eats frozen dinners and that she does not intend to quit her job when she gets married. In this case, the mid Victorian in Barney decides she will not make a good wife. But Andy disagrees. He may not be ready to marry her, but he is interested in getting to know her better. In this case, Barney won't take YES for an answer either! Complications ensue.

Barney is at his most obnoxious in this episode, sticking his nose in Andy's business in the first place and then leaving it there. At the beginning Barney tells Andy that "a man who waits too long to get married gets irritable". Andy should have turned this around on him and asked Barney why it is that HE hasn't gotten married yet. After all, he and Andy are the same age and Barney has NEVER been married. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

This episode is the beginning of Helen Crump being Andy's long-term love interest on the show.

When Barney believes that Andy isn't doing an adequate job raising Opie and needs a wife. Soon every eligible woman in Mayberry is showing up at Andy's door. Andy is supposed to check them out and choose the best one for himself. But Andy gets the upper hand again--as usual.

The herding of the prospective wives was Barney at his most insensitive and obnoxious. Funny scenes Barney introducing Andy & Helen, grilling Helen, then disapproving of Helen. Especially like how angry Barney became as Helen gave the wrong answers to his grilling. Then serving uncooked leg of lamb to rush her out. Epilogue was weak just a redo of Barney's disappoval.

At just 2:34, barely past the opening theme, the classic crossed arm Barney stare appears. And, Barney, in his deep knowledge of relationships and child-raising, of course, has something to say about Andy being both the mother and father to Opie. That Barney shares his uninformed opinion surprises no one.

This time Barney pulls what is close to an event. Assembling the most attractive single women in mass at Andy's house, Barney believes he can help Andy find Mrs. Right. Actually, Barney did good on one hand, but, hey, he's Barney and the whole is somehow always less than the parts. Andy takes offense.

While we've already met new school teacher, Helen Crump, this episode makes it clear the series will be throwing Andy and Helen together as Andy's new love interest. Barney shows his male chauvinism in hilarious fashion. Undernourished, uninformed, and uneducated is no way to go through life...unless you're Barney Fife and we wouldn't want it another way. And this is what makes this episode rise as Andy and Barney are at odds and the yin and yang is pretty entertaining.

I agree with one other reviewer. Barney, in his attempt find Andy a wife, was obnoxious and over the top.

What kind of friend would do that...acting obnoxious and of course a know it all.

That's the writing that gave Don Knotts this character. Patronizing, full of himself and arrogant. In other episodes such as The Choir, Don Knotts was hilarious. He made this show in the first five seasons.

This episode was a but much. Inviting all these unsuspecting women to Andy's house. Not approving of Helen ( of course Andy did marry Helen). The writers made Barney look like a know it all jerk. Knowing more than Andy. Insensitive to Andy's and Helen's feelings.