Below is the list that shows my rankings for the Season 2 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.
My top episode of the season is one of the all-time classics, The Pickle Story. Aunt Bee makes eight jars of her pickles, which unfortunately for Andy, Opie, and Barney, are terrible. The guys replace Aunt Bee’s pickles with store-bought pickles since they know Aunt Bee expects them to eat them. However, when Aunt Bee decides to enter her pickles in the county fair, the guys realize they’ll have to eat all of the store-bought pickles and force Aunt Bee to make another batch of hers so the contest will be fair. This time, Aunt Bee makes 16 quarts of pickles and the guys realize they’ll have to learn to love them. I’m pretty sure Don Knotts named this as his favorite episode.
Season 2 also featured several guest stars that would go on to become well-known stars – Bill Bixby (David Banner on The Incredible Hulk), Alan Hale Jr. (The Skipper on Gilligan’s Island), Barbara Eden (Jeannie on I Dream of Jeannie), and Buddy Ebson (Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies).
I think imdb.com helped me solve a minor mystery that I’ve always wondered about. A nurse named Mary appeared in two episodes as a love interest of Andy, but Mary was played by a different actress in each episode. I always wondered if it was supposed to be the same character in both episodes, and apparently it was, as imdb.com lists Mary’s last name as being the same in both episodes.
| Rank | Ep. # | Episode Name | Synopsis |
| 1 | 2.11 | The Pickle Story | Aunt Bee’s pickles taste like kerosene cucumbers |
| 2 | 2.12 | Sheriff Barney | When Andy considers taking a new job, Barney takes over as sheriff for a day |
| 3 | 2.10 | The Clubmen | Andy and Barney are considered for membership in The Esquire Club |
| 4 | 2.22 | The Merchant of Mayberry | Andy helps a struggling saleman set up a roadside stand while antagonizing Ben Weaver |
| 5 | 2.23 | Aunt Bee the Warden | Andy has to make Otis serve his sentence at the Taylor home because the jail is full |
| 6 | 2.27 | Three’s a Crowd | Barney keeps interfering in Andy’s budding relationship with Mary |
| 7 | 2.24 | The County Nurse | Andy and Barney try to help Nurse Mary convince Rafe Hollister to take a tetanus shot |
| 8 | 2.29 | Andy on Trail | Andy is accused of misconduct by a newspaper publisher he arrested |
| 9 | 2.30 | Cousin Virgil | Barney’s awkward cousin comes to visit |
| 10 | 2.20 | Barney and the Choir | Barney is asked to join the choir before the director realizes Barney can’t sing |
| 11 | 2.17 | The Jinx | The townsfolk are convinced that Henry Bennett is a jinx |
| 12 | 2.15 | Bailey’s Bad Boy | A spoiled, rich young man sideswipes a farmer’s truck |
| 13 | 2.16 | The Manucurist | The townsfolk don’t know how to react when a manucurist sets up shop in Floyd’s Barber Shop |
| 14 | 2.7 | Crime-Free Mayberry | Mayberry is recognized as having the lowest crime rate in the country |
| 15 | 2.4 | Mayberry Goes Bankrupt | Frank Meyers finds an old bond and learns that Mayberry owes him over $349,000. |
| 16 | 2.14 | The Keeper of the Flame | Opie is accused of starting a fire that burns down Jubal Foster’s barn |
| 17 | 2.3 | The Woman Speeder | A woman uses her charms on Barney, Floyd, and Opie to help her get out of a speeding ticket |
| 18 | 2.2 | Barney’s Replacement | Barney fears that a new temporary deputy has actually come to replace him |
| 19 | 2.1 | Opie and the Bully | A bully forces Opie to give him his milk money |
| 20 | 2.25 | The Big City | Andy and Barney help capture a jewel theif in Raleigh |
| 21 | 2.28 | The Bookie Barber | Floyd hires a second barber who turns out to be a bookie |
| 22 | 2.18 | Jailbreak | Andy and Barney help the state police catch Frank Malloy and his partner |
| 23 | 2.19 | A Medal for Opie | Opie wants to win a medal in the school race |
| 24 | 2.8 | The Perfect Female | Barney and Thelma Lou set Andy up on a blind date with Thelma Lou’s cousin Karen |
| 25 | 2.5 | Barney on the Rebound | A con man and his wife file a breach of promise suit against Barney |
| 26 | 2.13 | The Farmer Takes a Wife | Jeff Pruitt decides he wants Thelma Lou to be his wife |
| 27 | 2.6 | Opie’s Hobo Friend | Opie befriends a hobo named Dave Brown |
| 28 | 2.21 | Guest of Honor | Mayberry accidentally picks a thief to be their guest of honor on Founder’s Day |
| 29 | 2.31 | Deputy Otis | Otis is made a temporary deputy so he can try to impress his visiting brother |
| 30 | 2.9 | Aunt Bee’s Brief Encounter | Aunt Bee hits it off with Mr. Wheeler the handyman |
| 31 | 2.26 | Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee | Aunt Bee almost marries Mr. Goss when Clara convinces her she should get married |
Hey Brent, remember me from Charter? I found your blog and love reading the Andy Griffith rankings. Good stuff. You might want to add Sterling Holloway to your list of notable guest stars from season 2. He played Bert the salesman on “The Merchant of Mayberry” episode. He had a long movie career, played guest shots in a number of TV shows, and wound up doing quite a few animated voices, most notably that of Winnie the Pooh.
Hi Duane, it’s good to hear from you! I hope you are doing well.
I’ll add the information about Sterling Holloway to my post about Season 2. I didn’t realize he did the voice of Winnie the Pooh, although I can definitely hear it in his voice when I think about the episode of the Andy Griffith Show that he appeared in.
Oh man, I’m glad I found this, I have been trying to figure who that Mary girl was in the Andy Griffith show that Andy asks out. This is the episode where Barney just doesn’t understand that he is being more of a pest than anything else and invites himself and Thelma Lou on their dates. Anyhow, that Mary girl is so beautiful and I have been trying to figure out what her name is because she looks a lot like Sarah Silverman and am trying to find out if they are maybe related. I know it’s silly but I think there’s a resemblance.