Ep 7. Andy the Matchmaker

In The Andy Griffith Show season 1 episode 7, titled "Andy the Matchmaker," viewers will join Sheriff Andy Taylor as he attempts to play cupid for the town's newest bachelor, Malcolm Merriweather. Malcolm has just arrived in Mayberry to take on the job as a new clerk at the courthouse, and Andy quickly realizes that he would make a great match for his spinster friend, Miss Rosemary.

As soon as Malcolm steps off the bus, he catches the eye of the ladies in town, including Aunt Bee and Thelma Lou. But Andy remains convinced that Miss Rosemary, the schoolteacher who has been unlucky in love, would be the perfect match for Malcolm. He sets about trying to orchestrate a meet-cute between the two, but things don't go quite according to plan.

First, Andy tries to casually arrange for Malcolm to "bump into" Miss Rosemary at the grocery store. But when he gets there, he finds that his Aunt Bee is already there with her eyes on Malcolm. She drags him over to the bakery to show him her favorite derbies, much to Andy's chagrin.

Undeterred, Andy comes up with a new plan: he invites Malcolm over to the Taylor household for dinner and convinces Rosemary to come over as well. He hopes that the two will hit it off over a home-cooked meal, but they are both very shy and awkward around each other. Aunt Bee doesn't help matters by constantly interrupting them and trying to take over the conversation.

When dinner is over, Malcolm offers to walk Rosemary home, but Andy insists on accompanying them. On the way, they encounter a group of rowdy young men who start teasing Malcolm for being out with Rosemary. Andy comes to his defense by pretending to be his bodyguard, and the group quickly disperses.

Despite the rocky start, Andy remains convinced that Rosemary and Malcolm are meant to be together. He decides to take drastic action by faking a burglar at the courthouse and encouraging Malcolm to "protect" Rosemary when he catches her. While the plan seems to work at first, with Malcolm heroically carrying Rosemary to safety, it quickly becomes clear that there was no real danger and that Malcolm only asked Rosemary to marry him because he felt obligated.

Feeling guilty for pushing them together, Andy apologizes to Malcolm and Rosemary and encourages them to remain friends. In the end, Malcolm decides to leave town and pursue a job in the city, but not before he and Rosemary share a heartfelt goodbye.

"Andy the Matchmaker" is a charming and heartwarming episode that showcases Andy's unique blend of kindness, humor, and determination. Fans of the show will enjoy seeing their favorite characters in action and will appreciate the episode's message about the power of friendship and the dangers of meddling in other people's love lives.