The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) Class Reunion (1963) User Reviews

If one episode sums up the whole series... this is it

[rooster_davis · 9/10 · 26 November 2009]

This one episode contains much of what made The Andy Griffith show great even though it doesn't have appearances by Opie or Aunt Bee. How? Because it has perfect examples of the show's humor (Barney's landlady growing mushrooms in her basement 'for fun and profit') but also more serious moments, such as when Andy meets his old high school flame at their class reunion. They wonder why they ever broke up, but as they discuss old times and current days, they remember that they split up over having different goals and dreams for the future. Meanwhile, Barney was anticipating seeing his old heart throb and hoping she won't make a fool of herself when she sees him. Quite the contrary, she doesn't recognize him, in fact she doesn't even remember him.

The episode ends with Andy and Barney cleaning up after the reunion, and sort of re-capping the evening. Barney says it makes him kind of sad, seeing the people they went to school with, and how they're all getting older. Repeating a phrase that had been written in one of their high school yearbooks, Andy asks Barney, "Do the tears on your pillow bespeak the pain that's in your heart?" Barney kind of chuckles, but wistfully says "Yeah..." and Andy says "Me too." After a moment's pause to reflect, they get back to their clean-up. That's the ending of the episode, and probably one of the finest ones that ever aired.

Life Is Too Short

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 6 December 2019]

This little episode shows how life can drag us by the nose into a future we never thought about. When Andy finds the old high school yearbook, he wonders what happened to all those people. He and Barney, with the help of some who have remained in Mayberry, plan a reunion. It works reasonable well. The only problem, other than the obvious "you can't go home again," is the hostility felt by people who go unrecognized. Name tags certainly would have helped. But the conclusion involves Andy hooking up with his first love. They were cutest couple two years in a row, but why did they part? There are some truly touching scenes here that all of us can relate to.

They're Playing a Cha Cha Cha!

[jpop59 · 8/10 · 4 September 2020]

This episode has everything that makes the Griffith show so enjoyable to watch starting with an event that brings the towns people together. Barney and Andy start reminiscing when they find Barney's old high school yearbook, and wonder what happened to all their schoolmates. This leads to a plan to have a high school reunion, so those that are still in town send out invitations to those that have moved on and the anticipation begins.

Of course, one of those who left town after high school is Andy's original high school sweetheart who now lives in the big city. By the time of the reunion, no one has heard from her so Andy's feeling a little disappointed, but the celebration goes on anyway with live music and dancing.

Andy and Barney are manning the punch bowl and refreshments table trying to recognize everyone based on memory and usually goofing up their names thanks to Barney misreading the photos in the yearbook. There is also a funny side story about a girl that wrote a loving verse in Barney's yearbook who is now married with children and has no recollection of him whatsoever. Eventually, Andy's high school sweetheart arrives at the entrance to the party, and he spies her from across the room. The two dance and talk before going outside to the garden to reminisce. It doesn't take long for the old flame to rekindle, and eventually we learn Andy's philosophy of happiness. And then ,of course we also learn that everyone's interpretation of happiness is different.

A very good episode with an insightful message and as usual lots of funny scenes and funny asides.

Terrific episode

[davedrawsgood · 10/10 · 1 April 2013]

Perhaps the most romantic episode of the series. A very touching story written by Greenbaum and Fritzell. Andy and Barney are not caricatures by this point of the series (and especially with these two writers) but believable characters with real lives. From the third season, which along with season four, are the peak of the series. The writing is the best in these two seasons. Andy is very good here as is Peggy McCay in the role of Sharon DeSpain. The relationship, emotions,the sense of loss are all believable. What might have been.

The final scene with Andy and Barney is brilliant. Two life long friends who have both had their share of pain.

What is the name of the background song?

[sufan1 · 10/10 · 22 July 2014]

I love this episode, especially the dialog between Andy and Barney at the end of the program. "The tears on my pillow bespeak the pain that is in my heart" This is 1963, Season 3, episode 82. While Andy and Barney are at the reunion, just before Andy and his high school sweetheart are to see each other again, there is a song playing in the background. The song that is playing in the background runs from approximately minute 14:40 through 15:40 and has been haunting me forever. The credits at the end of the show don't credit who preforms the song, nor the title. Although in the program, "Sharon" refers to the band as "The original Carl Benson Wildcats" Does anyone out there know what the name (title) of that song is and from what year?

A hint to Andy's lost past.

[deblc-91334 · 7/10 · 17 December 2020]

In this episode, Andy is reunited with his high school sweetheart. We learn that they drifted apart after high school. At some point after that, Andy fell in love with a nameless woman, married her, had a son with her, and lost her for unknown reasons. The interesting thing is while Andy and his old girlfriend are catching up, there is no mention of his son or lost wife. At some points in the series, it's almost like it never happened.

The color episodes had a class of '48 reunion.

[wheeling500 · 6/10 · 7 March 2022]

This episode is just ok. It's certainly shows there wasn't much continuity in the series. Later, in the color episodes Andy and Barney go to a class of '48 reunion. (huh?). Thelma Lou comes back, married. Hmmm.

Andy and Barney reunite with former classmates

[mloessel · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

In "Class Reunion" we learn where Andy and Barney went to high school (Mayberry Union High). We also learn that Andy had a high school sweetheart (Sharon Despain) and Barney mentions a lady(Romona Wiley) who he thought had the 'hots' for him. At the reunion dance we discover that Romona, now married, doesn't remember Barney. Andy's lady shows up and for a time there's a rekindling of romance. However, as Andy and Sharon walk and talk in the garden we learn that both went their separate ways. Sharon preferred the big city energy of Chicago and Andy was more at home in Mayberry. This was one of the better episodes as both Andy and Barney reminice about the past and reunite with former classmates. In the final scene Andy and Barney sing the school song ...

The Bittersweet Side of Adulthood

[AudioFileZ · 25 November 2023]

You've heard the phrase: you can't go back". It's catchy and in it is some kind of bigger universal truth we'll all face on different levels. Here's another popular phrase: "time waits for no one". Time is the separator of what was, what is, and what will be. I can see why Pink Floyd wrote a song simply about it on an elemental level. It's a constant that all of existence must bow to. Well, enough of that and back to that you can't go back. In fact, you can, and folks constantly do with functions like class reunions. In the end what the bottom line is you can't go back save for all those great, even painful, memories...but, you must move forward as that is what life is all about. Great episode that makes one ponder a big question.

One of the worst episodes

[SamPamBam · 4/10 · 28 April 2020]

Why put us thru an episode like this? What does it prove?

Very weak Andy & Sharon meeting derails the episode

[vitoscotti · 3/10 · 19 April 2022]

The high school reunion theme will be used again in "The Return of Barney Fife". It will click better, and be much funnier. The nostalgia of the high school days and the camaraderie of Andy and Barney are highlights of this episode. But, the reunion humor is forced and stalls. The simply dreadfully written meeting of Andy & Sharon is one of the series worst scenes.