This episode shows how things can change fast & how the blame for those changes comes down. I guess kids have always had secret clubs of some kind but adding the secret flame increases the risk of trouble. In this case Opie & his pals were innocent but they looked quilty & Andy assumed the worst. Jubal Foster says the kids started the fire to cover his moonshinning & the alcohol fueled the flames. So because Andy thinks it was Opie he goes to pay for the barn & of course Barney walks around & takes a drink of what he thinks is water. Well it's not,it's shine & Barney gets wasted Andy figures it out & Jubal is arrested but not before he has to help get Barney to the car. Andy,s apology to Opie is good, letting him know he made a mistake by not believing in him. Everett Sloan who was Jubal wrote the lyrics for the Andy Griffith show but were never used.
5 Reviews
Opie didn't do it !
tweiss-673682 September 2021
The tragedy of this story is that poor Opie has to take the very stressful blame for the faults of the antagonist. But Andy's ability to acknowledge his own faults in detail, is one of the many elements that helped set this series apart from the others. Another poignant and very entertaining episode that vividly illustrates what real life is about.
Jubal... Jubal, Jubal, Jubal
vitoscotti18 March 2022
Everett Sloane's (Jubal Foster) portrayal of the ornery moonshiner highlights this episode. Opie is uncharacteristically gullible to bad influence friends. Once the barn owner first found the hideout it's unrealistic the kids would be dumb enough to return to the site. Great scene seeing Barney drunk.
Don Knotts at his funniest
sandraskates19 October 2020
Don Knotts is at his funniest in this episode. Must have been some smooth moonshine if it took him a whole ladle-full before the comedic faces and loose body poses kick in.
A good storyline and Don's wonderful acting will have you laughing out loud.
OK He Didn't Start the Fire, But....
Hitchcoc30 November 2019
I was quite annoyed at the conclusion where Andy has to admit to a mistake. Another moonshiner is involved. He owns a farm where Opie and his buddies have a secret club. Despite the mistakes made by Andy when it comes to his son, the boys were trespassing and putting that barn in danger. A spark could just as easily have caused the same fire.
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