S02.E02: Four Eyes

[David T. Cole]

Mary's grades start to fall and Pa figures out that she needs glasses. But once she gets them, the other kids tease her and she worries that she will end up a spinster like Miss Beadle (oh no!).

[Primetimer]

It's probably the second thing.

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[EAG46]

Talk about classism in the Old West. Nellie and Willie Oleson are using their power as The Rich Kids to lord it over everyone in that school. If they weren't so well off they would have been beaten black and blue. Or at least had wedgies every day. Snotty little buggers.

[LAFR]

So I think that this episode has merged in my brain with an episode of Hart to Hart where an optometrist was the bad guy to give me a huge fear of eye exams.

My first thought on hearing the start of this podcast was "is this the one with the fire?" I guess that's the episode where she really started to go blind?

I tried reading Farmer Boy to my son recently. He wasn't into it so we didn't get past the first chapter but in it the class bullies kill the teacher! I guess Miss. Beadle got off lucky she just had to listen to chants of four eyes. Teachers had it rough back in the day.

And yes, everyone spun around to become Wonder Woman. That's what you did in the 70's.

[sistermagpie]

5 hours ago, LAFR said:

So I think that this episode has merged in my brain with an episode of Hart to Hart where an optometrist was the bad guy to give me a huge fear of eye exams.

Just had to chime to say that I, too, think of that episode every time I have an eye exam. Or jump into a pool, if I'm thinking of the same ep you are. There can't be two Hart to Hart's like that, can there?

[Jamoche]

So I think that this episode has merged in my brain with an episode of Hart to Hart where an optometrist was the bad guy to give me a huge fear of eye exams.

My first thought on hearing the start of this podcast was "is this the one with the fire?" I guess that's the episode where she really started to go blind?

I tried reading Farmer Boy to my son recently. He wasn't into it so we didn't get past the first chapter but in it the class bullies kill the teacher! I guess Miss. Beadle got off lucky she just had to listen to chants of four eyes. Teachers had it rough back in the day.

And yes, everyone spun around to become Wonder Woman. That's what you did in the 70's.

They only tried to kill the teacher; he came back with a bullwhip.

Farmer Boy is fairly episodic; if you want to try again, I'd go with the sheep-shearing scene. I love the trick Almanzo pulls on his brothers.

[LAFR]

  6 hours ago, LAFR said:

So I think that this episode has merged in my brain with an episode of Hart to Hart where an optometrist was the bad guy to give me a huge fear of eye exams.

Just had to chime to say that I, too, think of that episode every time I have an eye exam. Or jump into a pool, if I'm thinking of the same ep you are. There can't be two Hart to Hart's like that, can there?

Are you picturing an Evil Optometrist pushing a button and little spikes pop out of the eye exam thingy? Cause that's what I'm thinking of, only it's now mixed in with the Little House eye exam.

[sistermagpie]

Just now, LAFR said:

Are you picturing an Evil Optometrist pushing a button and little spikes pop out of the eye exam thingy? Cause that's what I'm thinking of, only it's now mixed in with the Little House eye exam.

Yup, that's absolutely the one.

[Ben]

When I was in third grade and needed glasses I was ashamed and didn't want to admit to my parents I couldn't see. And I don't fully understand why either, except that maybe it shows how badly kids don't want to be seen as imperfect? Anyway I always thought that aspect of the episode was pretty perceptive of whoever wrote it. The "four eyes" teasing and Miss Beadle's four-eyes lovin' man, not so much. Did Miss Beadle ever even wear glasses before this episode?

[spaceghostess]

  On 9/13/2017 at 10:27 AM, LAFR said:

So I think that this episode has merged in my brain with an episode of Hart to Hart where an optometrist was the bad guy to give me a huge fear of eye exams.

Just had to chime to say that I, too, think of that episode every time I have an eye exam. Or jump into a pool, if I'm thinking of the same ep you are. There can't be two Hart to Hart's like that, can there?

Heh, I seem to remember every episode of Hart to Hart involving jumping into a pool. This, I think, is because the pool was in the credits. Also, I literally haven't seen Hart to Hart since its original run.

[sistermagpie]

4 hours ago, spaceghostess said:

Heh, I seem to remember every episode of Hart to Hart involving jumping into a pool. This, I think, is because the pool was in the credits. Also, I literally haven't seen Hart to Hart since its original run.

Me neither. They'd probably be happy to know that at least one episode made a big impression. I didn't even watch it with any regularity.

[Flamingo]

When I was in fifth grade, I had to get glasses. I knew I had trouble seeing the chalk board but had no idea what else I had been missing. It was pretty amazing to my 10 year old self. Still boring for everyone else to watch.

If you get Hallmark Murder & Mysteries channel, they show Hart to Hart from 3-5 AM Tuesday - Frriday. I can't watch the episode with the optometrist because it makes me squirm and I have to see mine every year.

Also, Hart to Hart fans should see this:

https://youtu.be/ddOWdulCerQ

[Kim]

You guys should know my husband got glasses in the 1st grade because he could tell time in the clock on the paper on his desk but not the clock on the wall. But he also had that "WOW, everything is so sharp!" moment. Although he was 6, not 12 or however old Mary is supposed to be here.

[Katy M]

On ‎9‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 4:09 PM, Jamoche said:

Farmer Boy is fairly episodic; if you want to try again, I'd go with the sheep-shearing scene. I love the trick Almanzo pulls on his brothers.

That's one of the few specifics I remember from the entire Little House series.  Except that I apparently remembered it wrong because I thought that was a story Charles told about when he was a kid, but I remember the important part.  Always store sheep where the wool goes so you can finish first.

[Jamoche]

On 5/9/2018 at 1:07 PM, Katy M said:

That's one of the few specifics I remember from the entire Little House series.  Except that I apparently remembered it wrong because I thought that was a story Charles told about when he was a kid, but I remember the important part.  Always store sheep where the wool goes so you can finish first.

I've appreciated it more as an adult; I've met the occasional boss who wasn't teasing when they thought you were "slacking" because some other job had to finish first.