minor muppetz
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2005
- Messages
- 16,071
- Reaction score
- 2,655
I think it's a good episode. But quite a few shows seem to have episodes that are often included in lists of the greatest episodes of all time that I can't really see why they're the best.The episode of THE ODD COUPLE where Felix and Oscar appear on PASSWORD is considered by the many to be the greatest episode of the (70s) series . . . but, I really don't see why it's so great. Then again, I've never seen PASSWORD before, that was well before my time, so I guess I wouldn't be able to appreciate the crossover.
For example, there's the Happy Days episode Richie Fights Back. When I first heard of it, I wanted to see it, mainly because it guest starred a cast member from Taxi. It was included in Nick at Nite/TV Guide's list of the top 100 greatest television episodes (and was among those on the list to appear in Nick at Nite's week-long marathon of episodes they could show), and would later be included in the book TV Land to Go as part of its section on the top 100 greatest sitcom episodes. And I think it was the only episode of Happy Days to be included in either list. I liked it more back then (and I first saw the whole thing during that marathon), but was it really that great? There's a lot more that seem to stand out than that, like The Lemon, The Deadly Dares, My Favorite Orkin, Fonzie Loves Pinky, and others. Of course I think I'd also include the Hollywood three-parter, where Fonzie jumps the shark (I don't really get why people make a big deal out of that). I see places that say that the shark-jumping was a diversion from a boring three-part episode, but I enjoy the plot of Fonzie getting a screen test and then Richie struggling on whether to accept an acting career while Fonzie was passed over, and of course I enjoy all the bikinis. It's also the start of season 5, and I prefer seasons 5-7 over seasons 2-4.
And there's The Lars Afair episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where Phyllis thinks her husband Lars is having an affair with Sue Ann (or something like that, I can't really remember right now). It was also in both lists I mentioned, but I don't really see what's so great about it, aside from being the debut of Sue Ann (and I don't really see her as that great a character). Of course there are better episodes of the show that have made "greatest episodes" lists.
Of course there's also episodes that get included in such lists that I can see why they'd be included, but also feel a slight "popularity backlash" because they tend to be the only ones listed, like The Last Newhart. The ending makes it one of the best last episodes of all time, but that seems to be the last episode of Newhart on any list of the greatest television episodes, and most documentaries/biographies on Bob Newhart focus on that more than anything else from Newhart (wouldn't it be great if there was a documentary, anniversary special, or coffee table book about the show?). In fact I think the ending is a lot more well-known than the plot of the episode. It is one of the best, but there's also a lot of other really great episodes, like the Desparately Desiring Susan two-parter, A Midseason Night's Dream, Lady and the Tramps, Mrs. Newton's Body Lies A'Moulding in the Grave, Prima Darryl, the telethon episode, and the Halloween party episode.