Episode Report Card Cate: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT How do you solve a problem like Mary?
By Cate | Season 5 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.12.2000
I have a great idea for revamping the opening credits. Now that Mary's leaving, they've got just enough characters to rip off the Brady Bunch opener. Unfortunately, John's character has pretty much been turned into Alice already, so he should feel right in place there in the centre square. As an added bonus, this could help the actors get used to their future careers on Hollywood Squares.
Speaking of perfect Hollywood Squares candidates, Deborah Raffin and Ed Begley Jr. are not just any old guest stars; they are accorded the honour of being "Special Guest Stars." And I thought this program couldn't do humour very well. Well, that shows me. SuperMom is scurrying around the kitchen, examining the petty cash coffee can and counting the bills in her wallet. Either she's still trying to figure out where Mary found the money to pay her bills or she's checking to make sure Mary hasn't lifted any cash from the family today. The perky, annoying music in the background sounds like it belongs to another scene entirely. RevCam comes in and immediately asks what's for dinner. That's kind of rude. If Mr. Cate walked in and asked that right off the bat, I'd probably tell him that his dinner was still at the grocery store. Annie says they're having chicken and asks him if that's okay. What kind of stupid question is that? If someone were kind enough to cook for me, I don't think I'd be inclined to critique that person's menu choices. Besides, the chicken is all prepared to be put in the oven already. What's SuperMom supposed to do, chuck it and start from scratch? Actually, the chicken has been sitting on the counter throughout this scene, its salmonella count multiplying rapidly. For all we know, it's been sitting there all afternoon. And we don't even get a PSA about kitchen hygiene? Eric and Annie talk about Mary for a while. There's probably some way for this scene to get even more boring, but I'm not sure science is advanced enough at this point to show us how. Suffice it to say that the CamRents are upset because they don't know where Mary got the money to pay her bills. To lift their spirits, they decide to invite the Hamiltons over for dessert and coffee. Wow, sounds like a blast. I feel bad for the Hamiltons, whoever they may be, because it sounds like Annie expects them to do the dirty work of cheering up her and Eric. The CamRents speculate on where Mary might be at this very moment.
Mary is down at Flicks, of course, where the ticket-seller tells her they've just started running a new movie. Thank goodness. If I had to watch another scene like last week's, with Mary laughing at that Marx Brothers movie while showing off the half-chewed popcorn in her mouth, I'd probably get homicidal. Oh, and Mary acts rude and surly to the ticket guy. I know, I was pretty shocked by that too.