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The Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 2

Every episode of The Andy Griffith Show Season 2 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 2!

The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.

Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:CBS

Season 2 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" season 2 is "Opie and the Bully", rated 8.3/10 from 414 user votes. It was directed by Bob Sweeney and written by Frank Tarloff. "Opie and the Bully" aired on 10/2/1961 and is rated 0.5 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Barney's Replacement".

  • Opie and the Bully
    8.3/10 414 votes

    #1 - Opie and the Bully

    Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/1961

    Sheriff Andy Taylor must decide whether to intervene or let the problem work itself out when a bully harasses his son Opie at school.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Barney's Replacement
    7.8/10 377 votes

    #2 - Barney's Replacement

    Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/1961

    When a rookie policeman is sent to Mayberry for training, Barney mistakenly believes the man is his replacement and quits the police force to become a vacuum-cleaner salesman.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Andy and the Woman Speeder
    7.6/10 403 votes

    #3 - Andy and the Woman Speeder

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/16/1961

    Andy arrests an attractive speeder, who promptly uses flattery and charm to turn the various prosecution witnesses -- Opie, Barney and Floyd the barber -- against a hapless Andy and his case.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Mayberry Goes Bankrupt
    8.1/10 395 votes

    #4 - Mayberry Goes Bankrupt

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/23/1961

    Will the town coffers run out of cash? It appears that way when Mayberry resident Frank Myers is stunned to discover that the township apparently owes him close to $350,000!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Barney on the Rebound
    8.2/10 390 votes

    #5 - Barney on the Rebound

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/30/1961

    After a disagreement with Thelma Lou, Barney unwittingly falls under the spell of the female half of a scheming con team and Andy must attempt to save the day.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Opie's Hobo Friend
    8.5/10 430 votes

    #6 - Opie's Hobo Friend

    Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 11/13/1961

    Andy is wary when Opie becomes fascinated by a wily hobo (Buddy Ebsen) who begins to influence the boy with his carefree, conniving ways.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Harvey Bullock

  • Crime-Free Mayberry
    8.3/10 382 votes

    #7 - Crime-Free Mayberry

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/20/1961

    Two crooks masquerade as an FBI agent and a professional photographer in a scheme to honor the Mayberry Sheriff's Department for preserving the community's low crime rate -- but they actually have their eye on the town bank.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Paul Henning

  • The Perfect Female
    7.9/10 417 votes

    #8 - The Perfect Female

    Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/27/1961

    When Thelma Lou arranges a blind date between her visiting cousin and Andy, the two lovebirds hit it off -- but a skeet-shooting competition sets Andy's romantic record straight.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter
    7.6/10 349 votes

    #9 - Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 12/4/1961

    Aunt Bee falls for traveling handyman Henry Wheeler, but Andy becomes convinced that Wheeler is a less-than-ideal suitor and decides to intervene.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon

  • The Clubmen
    7.8/10 366 votes

    #10 - The Clubmen

    Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/11/1961

    Both Andy and Barney are offered membership in an exclusive men's club, but Barney manages to alienate the entire group by trying too hard to fit in -- an endeavor that threatens his chances at joining the elite organization.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Fred S. Fox, Iz Elinson

  • The Pickle Story
    9.1/10 641 votes

    #11 - The Pickle Story

    Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/18/1961

    Andy and Barney are horrified when Aunt Bee decides to enter her prized pickles -- with a taste described as "kerosene cucumbers" -- in a county fair contest, hoping to claim first prize over the competition's perennial winner.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Harvey Bullock

  • Sheriff Barney
    8.4/10 367 votes

    #12 - Sheriff Barney

    Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/25/1961

    When Barney gets an offer to become the sheriff of nearby Greendale, Andy decides to let him be the sheriff of Mayberry for a day to give him a taste of what the top law-enforcement spot entails.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon

  • The Farmer Takes a Wife
    7.8/10 383 votes

    #13 - The Farmer Takes a Wife

    Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 1/1/1962

    Big Jeff Pruitt (Alan Hale) comes to Mayberry, determined to find a suitable wife. Andy and Barney are more than happy to help him with his search -- until Pruitt announces his choice: Barney's girlfriend, Thelma Lou!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Keeper of the Flame
    8.1/10 361 votes

    #14 - The Keeper of the Flame

    Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/1962

    Opie joins a secret club known as The Wildcats and is subsequently suspected of being the guilty party when the barn that the club meets in catches fire and burns to the ground.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Bailey's Bad Boy
    8.2/10 406 votes

    #15 - Bailey's Bad Boy

    Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 1/15/1962

    Andy has his hands full with a rich, arrogant lawbreaker (Bill Bixby) who threatens to have his influential father make life miserable for Andy and Barney unless the charges against him are dismissed.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon

  • The Manicurist
    8.6/10 512 votes

    #16 - The Manicurist

    Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/1962

    The men of Mayberry become infatuated with Ellen Brown (Barbara Eden), a curvaceous manicurist who sets up shop in Floyd's barbershop. But the women of Mayberry are less than enthusiastic about the situation.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Jinx
    7.7/10 360 votes

    #17 - The Jinx

    Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 1/29/1962

    After a series of mishaps, Barney declares that Mayberry resident Henry Bennett is a "jinx." Andy sets out to prove him wrong -- but begins to believe it himself after the troubles continue.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Jailbreak
    8.6/10 389 votes

    #18 - Jailbreak

    Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 2/5/1962

    Barney must attempt to salvage his reputation after he inadvertently allows a criminal to escape from the Mayberry jail and the state police are called in to assist in the manhunt.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Harvey Bullock

  • A Medal for Opie
    7.6/10 331 votes

    #19 - A Medal for Opie

    Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 2/12/1962

    Opie has his heart set on winning a medal in the annual Sheriff's Boys Day race -- so he seeks training tips from an expert in the field: legendary 50-Yard Dash champion Barney Fife!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Barney and the Choir
    8.9/10 515 votes

    #20 - Barney and the Choir

    Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 2/19/1962

    Things hit a sour note when Barney joins the Mayberry choir -- and it's quickly determined that his singing voice isn't exactly harmonious to the other members of the group.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Guest of Honor
    7.9/10 327 votes

    #21 - Guest of Honor

    Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/1962

    As part of the Founder's Day festivities, the residents of Mayberry decide to give a key to the city to the first visitor entering the town. Unfortunately, that visitor is Sheldon Davis, a highly skilled pickpocket and petty thief.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Merchant of Mayberry
    8.1/10 395 votes

    #22 - The Merchant of Mayberry

    Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/1962

    Weaver's Department Store in Mayberry has some new competition -- in the form of Bert Miller, a traveling salesman who sets up shop in the town with a little help from Andy.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon

  • Aunt Bee the Warden
    8.5/10 434 votes

    #23 - Aunt Bee the Warden

    Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 3/12/1962

    With the town jail full, Andy reluctantly decides to have the town drunk, Otis Campbell, incarcerated in Andy's own home. But when Aunt Bee takes charge as the "warden," Otis is soon howling to be locked up in the real jail!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The County Nurse
    7.8/10 385 votes

    #24 - The County Nurse

    Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/1962

    Feisty country farmer Rafe Hollister is determined to avoid getting a tetanus shot when county nurse Mary Simpson arrives in Mayberry to inoculate the citizenry.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Andy and Barney in the Big City
    8.5/10 389 votes

    #25 - Andy and Barney in the Big City

    Season 2 Episode 25 - Aired 3/26/1962

    While on a trip to Raleigh, Andy and Barney find themselves swept into an adventure involving a jewel thief being watched by a hotel detective.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Harvey Bullock