The general theme of the show was to trick members of the public into committing a minor crime (usually stealing) but then get their comeuppance in one way or another.
His desire to be liked often leads him to make unwise decisions or unfeasible promises without considering the consequences, only to back out when they result in an undesirable comeuppance.
At the same time, there are many out dated ideas in this book, such as feudalism and superstition, comeuppance and ideas of fatalism, along with some explicit love scenes.