"Richie Branches Out"



This episode is somewhere on that border of sweet and creepy, as Richie lies and schemes to meet his dream girl, who's of course flattered.  But I always like seeing Ralph dressed as a businessman.  So I'm going with C+.

Notes:
  • This aired on December 7th, so it being set two weeks before Christmas works.
  • Fonzie is again doing Christmas cards at Arnold's, this time with fewer girls and with Al as an elf, even though Al has a blind date later.
  • I think it was on the previous episode that we learned that the Hooper Triplets are named something like Happy, Joy, and Sunny, while here the "better" Pulaski Twin is named Linda.
  • I think it was also the previous episode where we learned that Jenny Piccalo is "boy-crazy," and she again is a bad influence on Joanie in this one.  Joanie had lots of unseen friends in the first couple seasons of HD but I don't remember any of them as recurring, even the one who was going to show her a book explaining where babies come from.
  • Howard had a crush on Jean Harlow, who died in 1937.
  • Howard and Richie's discussion of Richie's dream is censor-bait but it's apparently not one of those dreams.
  • Vern Rowe, who plays J.B. (which Ralph censor-baits as "B.J.") wouldn't do any more HD episodes, but he played a Trumpet Player on both The Bob Newhart Show and Laverne & Shirley.
  • I have no idea what the title of this episode means.

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 wh...
Read more

"Fonzie the Superstar"

Image
This is definitely a better (B-) proto-crossover although still odd in ways I'll discuss in the notes.  The title is a fitting one since Fonzie, sort of as distinct from Winkler the actor, was a superstar in real life in 1976, as odd as that is to recall now.  Anyway, Ralph wants Fonzie to sing in Potsie's place while Potsie is out of town (for reasons), but Fonzie has stage fright.   Lots o' notes: Potsie has a rich uncle who wants him to go to Notre Dame, so Potsie's parents (who it's well established hate him) want him to tour the campus that weekend. Fonzie will be out of town shortly before the "Senior Dance," which is being held at Arnold's because apparently they tore down the sock hop sets from the first couple seasons. Fonzie is going to the Powderpuff Derby, to help Pinky Tuscadero, which, like really?  That's historic!  (I want to say she doesn't show up until Season Four though, and this reference may be retconned.)  They had quite ...
Read more