"Joanie's Dilemma"



I remember cringing at the time (when I was almost twelve) about how aggressively they kept telling us IT'S THE 1960S!  Not to mention the whole double standard about Inspiration Point.  But I actually enjoyed it this time, especially Marion getting drunk during the mother-daughter talk.  So B-.

Notes:
  • It's the 1960s, I guess 1962.  The espresso machine is a bigger deal, and maybe with stuff happening out of chronological order on this series, this is actually where it first appears at Arnold's.
  • As he did on the classic beatnik episode of Season One, Ralph tries to pass as a beatnik, here to impress a specific girl.  I can only imagine the crossover craziness that could've happened, since "The Beatnik Show" of Laverne & Shirley aired the following week.  Here though, it's barely a subplot.
  • Joanie is a 17-year-old high school senior.  Richie claims he didn't go to the previously unmentioned sector of the Inspiration Point called "the Alamo" (cue Ralph and Potsie going, "Remember!") until college, presumably with Lori Beth.
  • Joanie has a bunch of never otherwise seen friends.  We know what Jenny Piccalo would advise.  Interestingly, we do not get Chachi's take.
  • Suzanne Wishner was Colette before and is Vanessa here.
  • Michael Dudikoff was Jim before and is Joanie's not-exactly-steady boyfriend Jason here.
  • Kelly Britt is Gladys but would be a nameless woman the next year.
  • April Kelly didn't write anything else for HD but she wrote the heck out of Mork & Mindy (16 episodes, which is a lot for any Garry Marshall series).  I'm going to credit her with more of a female perspective than we usually get on HD.

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