The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) Opie's Girlfriend (1966) User Reviews

Get Your Facts Straight

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 27 December 2019]

Most of the reviews that I've read begin by saying the girl interfered and Opie had a right to point it out. She didn't interfere; she INTERCEPTED the pass. She never even bumped Opie. Whether you think the fight was possible at least show you understand what went on. Is it possible that after listening to him make excuses and whine every time he lost an encounter, she had had enough. Remember, Opie picked football because he was sure he was better at it than she was--he set out to embarrass her. Yes, he couldn't retaliate, but he and his unfair treatment of her from the start (and his perpetual bragging) set things in motion. I know it's only a show, but the males aren't shown to be much to brag about. Andy can't stand losing a single bowling match to Helen. Oh that's right. Every time he tried to bowl she would trip him from behind (Oh, excuse me, he didn't have his own shoes--of course hers were rented too).

Glad things have changed

[melcauble · 7/10 · 16 July 2021]

It's a shame that Cynthia and Helen felt they had to feed the guys' egos by pretending to not be as good as they were. Glad I'm not that way and I hope most women these days have moved beyond that thinking.

Why There Will Never Be Sexual Equality

[richard.fuller1 · 6/10 · 19 December 2009]

Boneheaded episode from the sixties, but this mentality still seems to exist.

Helen's niece is better at athletics than Opie and in the process when the girl interferes in a pass to Opie during football, they get in a fight (I believe she shoves Opie first) then Opie shoves her back and she proceeds to give Opie a black eye or punch him out.

Helen hears about it and apologizes but gets giggly over it. Andy is offended.

Andy too briefly mentions the unfairness of this situation, as Opie, in all honesty, was NOT allowed to ever hit the girl back.

The show, not surprising, goes into the male ego being offended and having to be pampered and babied by the female.

HOWEVER, had it been a boy who interfered in the pass with Opie and Opie argued over it, the shoving match ensued and the boy punched Opie, Opie would have been able to hit him back, no questions asked.

The boys were fighting over football. Well, don't do it again.

Had Opie then even hit the girl back, even AFTER she blackeyed him, Helen would have had her little brittle self over to the Taylor residence in an ever-lovin' heartbeat to go all off on Andy about the way he was raising his son.

Unfair? Absolutely.

Maybe someday somebody will realize this.

Until then, there won't be equality.

Correction

[adrian_heflin · 17 September 2017]

Cynthia was correct that it was not pass interference. Pass interference occurs when the defensive player hits the receiver before the ball arrives. She has every right to catch the ball before him. Opie was just upset that he lost to her...again. I believe that Opie didn't hit her back out of fear, not because she was a girl. One of the better color episodes.

Talk about twisting the truth

[kacarrol-783-577285 · 6/10 · 10 July 2017]

I am a woman, and totally agree with Richard Fuller's review. First of all, anyone who watches the whole scene at the football game see's Helen's niece, who's quite larger than Opie, interfere with his football pass. When he calls it, she argues with him and shoves him with quite a bit of force, as she was a very strong girl. He shoves her back, barely moving her. Towering over him and threatening him in front of his friends she says, "You hit me!", as if shocked that a boy actually challenged her right to physically attack and experience nothing in return. Opie does shove her back, as his friends are watching, and she gives him a black eye. He didn't knock her out, which he could have done after she punched him. He refuses to hit her again because she's a girl, and she is triumphant in that. She tells some convoluted story to her Aunt Helen who repeats it to Andy-- that Opie started the fight, shoved her first, and maybe he wouldn't have if she wasn't better at everything than him. Duh...he shoved her back, because she shoved him like a dude--twice.

Andy & Opie are changed for the episode

[vitoscotti · 5/10 · 25 July 2022]

Andy & Opie are usually pretty levelheaded and not classless oafs in their competitiveness like here. Made for uncomfortable viewing how insecure Opie was. Very good female athletes were around in the 60s. I think Opie could deal with Cynthia (Mary Ane Durkin) being a good athlete without his world crumbling. Andy looks bad throughout. The "interference" excuse was funny. Cynthia had a clean interception. It wasn't necessarily the receivers fault. But, here a bad pass by the quarterback. Episode was memorable for being unusual. But, overall weak.

Unusual Punch

[fuzzyscout · 5/10 · 22 November 2018]

Cynthia seems to have been athletically skilled since she threw a right-handed punch (the football was in her left hand) but managed to hit Opie in his right eye. Must have been a real corkscrew.

No life lesson here

[allencwinstead · 5/10 · 19 October 2021]

I've always appreciated "The Andy Griffith Show" because beneath it's small town, simple folk exterior are some great truths and life lessons. However the episode "Opie's Girlfriend" was out of date and out of touch as soon as it aired. I have a teenage daughter who has a black belt in Taekwondo. I would never tell her to hold back when sparring guys to avoid hurting their male egos. I was honestly surprised when the episode landed on this idea. I thought for sure they would take the route of "there's nothing wrong with a girl being better at some things than a boy". I certainly hope no females watching this episode through the years ever took it's conclusion seriously.