TheLastKidPicked

@chessiegal Thank you for the link. Makes me glad that times are changing. On a happier note, we just watched an episode that aged very well. It's season 4, episode 26 Anthony Stone. In the opening scene, Sally returns from vacation and the genuine hugs from Morey Amsterdam and Dick Van Dyke show the great chemistry between the three. The episode continues with Rob and Laura working together to figure out the identity of Sally's new boyfriend. The easy conversation and back and forth between Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were effortless and amazing to watch. Not my favorite storyline, but it is worth a rewatch to see how well the actors work together.

@Snow Apple I have a different take on Michael Fishman's absence. I saw some recent videos and he continues to give credit and praise to Roseanne. I wonder if he and the producers came to an agreement that he could sit out the final episode as a tribute to his friendship. Kind of "If you're not invited then I won't go without you" type of arrangement.

Yes! Good point. Part of the issue in our house is the second series just seemed so depressing. The original series had an optimistic feel to it. We felt like everyone would be okay. The hardships were only temporary and something to laugh about while things got better. The second series felt like, "The system is going to keep us down so why bother?"

Don't be sorry. . . Just be Wally!

That's a good point, and was the idea behind The Bradys. "Look, the Brady kids are grown up and are now dealing with adult issues." It didn't work all that well, but I understand the thought behind it.

Thank you all for your responses. I knew you'd have good information to share. Many of these episodes really do stand up, even all these years later.

Trying to read between the lines. . . We just watched "One of the Boys" where Wally and Eddie are invited to join an exclusive school club. It's a much more serious episode than usual. Ward and June repeatedly discuss if they should disallow Wally to join. Ward states, "It's his decision and he needs to decide on his own". It is clear Ward disapproves although they don't say why. When Wally leaves for the meeting, both Ward and June stop him repeatedly, on the verge of asking him not to go. Was this some kind of club that they couldn't say out loud on the show? Such as a "whites only" club? Or a "no Jews allowed" type of club? It seemed like the writers wanted us to fill in the blanks as they couldn't say it out loud. What do you think? And do you agree it was a different tone than any other episode?

Great point! It reminds me of when Roseanne called out Jackie, and Jackie replied, "Have another shot of pancake, Roseanne".

In a similar note, the writers first said it was unrealistic that Alice and Ralph couldn't afford a phone. Jackie Gleason got a little heated and told them very firmly, "I know it's realistic because WE couldn't afford a phone!"

Every time I see this scene it reminds me of the Brady Bunch Movie. "It's okay, Marcia. It's not your nose I'm after." With Carol and Mike smiling approvingly because they didn't understand what he meant. Love that movie or hate it-- the actors pulled that scene off perfectly!

You are exactly right, and this is sad. Many of us know people who seem destined to struggle. You hear about them receiving an inheritance or other windfall and HOPE that this will put them over the top. But you know they will be right back in the same position a few years later.

Thank you for posting this. We could imagine this is exactly what would happen for the Connors. They would get hyped up about the settlement and start making plans or even spending the anticipated money. . . Then receive a $4 check in the mail.

If the show stays true to the original run, then the Connors can't get a big payout and live happily ever after. From the first episode, we knew the family was destined to struggle. It's one of the reasons that hitting the lottery never rang true.

Sad that last night's episode was the last one for the season. I always enjoy watching the show and them coming on here to discuss it with all of you. The short closeouts at the end were nice. Each of them letting down their guard for a bit and admitting that the year wasn't that great for them. The problem with being a young, good looking up and comer is that there will always be another good looking young up and comer to replace you. Just look at the names that Flagg drops that make people say, "Wow! I haven't heard that name in ages." Given time, people will be saying, "Altman Brothers? Yes, I remember them. Weren't they in real estate or something?"

We can explain this in two words: Trust Fund. All that generational wealth has to end up somewhere. A good example is Edith Flagg, Josh's grandmother. Her estate was $100,000,000. We only know of two grandchildren of Edith Flagg so we can do the math there. If Josh inherited a chunk of that then he would be able to afford a home for $80K per month. Here's a cute story told by Ed Potts, grand nephew of Ray Croc (Mcdonald's Ray Croc, whose family fortune grew to over $2.5 billion): "When I was little, people would say that Uncle Ray would be too busy to attend family events, but I always called him anyway to invite him. I'm glad I did because when I graduated high school the biggest present came from Uncle Ray." To put a finer point on it, if you can call people "Uncle Elon, Uncle Donald, or Uncle Jeff (Bezos) then you are looking at a ton of money coming your way.