1.8.: Chip's Harvest

A Thanksgiving episode. And one which, I think, should be a perennial for the holiday.

At Thanksgiving, everyone is allowed to invite along one friend. Chip is in the title; Chip gets the friend who forms the crux of the show. So far, everything is pretty white bread on this show. Is that bad? Of course not. It's about a white guy, with three white kids, who lives in a nice house because he has a nice job. This episode introduced more to the world. In a different way from Adjust or Bust and it's dancing Eastern Europeans.

Chip is going to invite Johnny Squanto. (Yeah, I know.) Johnny is a gentleman who lives down by the railroad tracks. He's a man who seems to be a bit of a Tall Tale Teller. He claims he is Native American, along with a lot of other things. Mike and Robbie don't believe his claims. Even Bub seems a bit put off by the man.

So, Steve heads to the man's small shack to rescind the invitation...but of course he does not. And, in that scene, My Three Sons trumps the shows around it once again. Steve goes out of the safety of their neighborhood and into this loud, slightly dangerous place. And, although one can feel that he will take back the invitation if need be, he is going with an open mind. Johnny Squanto doesn't say a word during the conversation but Steve knows that this man must come to their dinner.

And, luckily, he does. When the morning of Turkey Day hits, the stove breaks. Steve goes on a journey all around the neighborhood to get someone to fix it. (I believe he ends up at the house of a man who did some work for them earlier in the season.) Meanwhile, Johnny and the other guests show up. Quietly but assuredly, Mr. Squanto sets up a fire and spit in the backyard. The cooking of the turkey will get done. But, Mike and Robbie put their foot in it and Johnny leaves.

I won't ruin the end. As with the past episodes, part of the joy is watching the way the episode moves and shifts and becomes something worthwhile when it could have easily gone down a very sitcom route. The ending scene is possibly a little too literal for what it is but this is 1960 and, back then, subtlety may not have been enough. It closes with great charm and all I could think is: What would a Christmas episode be like?

Eight episodes in and the show continues to surprise.