The third season of LITB was the golden age of the series, boasting the sharpest writing, the best cinematography and the most pleasing combination of characters (most notably, Beaver's buddy Larry Mondello). This episode introduces the character of Richard Rickover, who would become one of Beaver's main pals after the unfortunate departure of Larry. He may have been a new face - and a dark-haired, freckle-faced, and strangely Italian-looking one - but Richard was pretty much business as usual: an annoying kid who inevitably got Beaver in trouble then left him holding the bag. Here, he accidentally spills baseball glove oil on the gray suit that Wally is wearing to the high school dance Saturday night. He and Beaver go to great lengths to hide the stain, but then at the last minute Beaver is rescued by an unlikely source: Eddie Haskell. This is one of the first of the episodes in which we catch a glimpse of Eddie's kindly side, a motif which would be continued throughout the remainder of the series.
The writing is characteristically fresh and funny, with scene fade-outs to punctuate the punch-lines. June and Ward are remarkably lenient with Beaver when they find out about the suit, and they do everything they can to dry his tears and make him understand that they have his best interests at heart. Ward also delves a bit into the psychology of Eddie and helps Beaver to understand the nature of this complex wise-guy.