The Dick Van Dyke Show - 2x20 - It May Look Like a Walnut

     Rob and Laura watch a sci-fi/horror movie late at night, which leads into a bizarre dream-like episode where walnuts are all over the place, and Rob worries that he will lose his imagination and thumbs.
     I first heard this episode described as being like a Twilight Zone episode.  So I looked it up.  It was available for free on Hulu.
     I've now watched this episode twice.  The second time, I showed it to my wife.  There's something very charming about the writing for this show.  It moves along a little slower than we're used to nowadays, but it's a nice sensibility.  Episodes usually seem to start off slow, but they build up as jokes are established, and the callbacks always pay off.
     I found the second viewing to be even better than the first.  I don't care for Mary Tyler Moore that much.  She seems a little vacuous for my tastes, but it could be that her character was developed over a longer stretch.
     Seeing the separate beds is one of the most dated aspects of this show.  But it plays well for comedic purposes.
    My favorite aspect of this episode is the fantastic way that Van Dyke is able to do the UFO sound.

     Now, on to some more general points, as I've started to watch this show a little more earnestly.  The writing is great.  There's a lot of heart and soul to the whole thing, even though some characters never get fleshed out.  I've been impressed with the rather progressive message across the episodes I've seen.  There's an interesting approach of tackling some awkward scenarios, situations that would normally make people cringe a little, but they play out with a fun ending.  This makes it easier to keep coming back.