"Knock Around the Block"






This April 30th episode is the least interesting so far (the first C), from its plot to its guest characters, although the tag with the "color TV converter" is cute.  Still, I can note a few things:
  • Ralph continues to come into more of his "cowardly jokester" persona.
  • At this point in the series, Ralph is the one who has a car, while Richie and Potsie have bikes.
  • Marion's line about not raising her boy to be a soldier would be ironic later.
  • Frankie Malina shares a last name with Laverne DeFazio's future fiancé, Sal Malina, and could be his brother or cousin.
  • Art Baer and Ben Joelson would co-write two more episodes.
  • The episode title is of course a pun on the opening-credits song.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JOANIE LOVES CHACHI: "Goodbye Delvecchio's, Hello World"

Image
  Al reluctantly fires the band for irresponsibility, so Uncle Rico gets them a gig at an Irish-themed pub.  The wardrobes look more anachronistic than ever.  I'm going with C+ again. Note that Bill Kirchenbauer (the future Coach Lubbock) makes a brief appearance as Phil, not as memorable as when he'd guested on Mork & Mindy, but still nice to see.
Read more

"Fonzie's Spots"

Image
It is September 24, 1984.  The final episode of Three's Company aired last week.  This isn't even Tuesday, but Monday.  Eight p.m. on Tuesdays this Fall will be (as it was for much of last season)  Foul-Ups, Bleeps, & Blunders, now followed by the 3'sC spin-off/sequel Three's a Crowd.  Before long, the outtakes show will be pushed to 9:00 and Crowd will foolishly be placed at 8:00, followed by Who's the Boss? , which has a much longer future ahead of it.  I will keep watching ABC, but I'm sixteen now and have a boyfriend who will eventually be my ex-husband.  The Tuesday Night ABC Line-Up I grew up with will become a set of mangled memories. I don't know if I watched this episode at the time.  I certainly didn't recall anything about it today.  I'm going with a C-, since it's pretty forgettable, except for the talk between Fonzie and Howard. Notes: Howard has been Grand Poobah for five years and has allegedly only recruited Potsie, but what a
Read more

"Requiem for a Malph"

Image
While the romance between Ralph and Kitty (played by Judy Landers's 21-year-old sister Audrey) is a bit sweet, I just felt like the whole thing of Ralph boxing Kitty's not-quite-ex (a stereotypically stupid Southern jock) to prove his manhood, especially when Kitty doesn't want him to fight and likely likes Ralph because he's a different type, bugged me.  On the other hand, for some reason this is an episode that came back to me a bit as it unfolded, e.g. Potsie singing "Calendar Girl."  So a C. Note that Mickey & Minnie Malph are name-checked, twice.
Read more