Married With Children - Episode by Episode Guide and Discussion - Page 2 - The Lounge Discussion and Review on Literature, Arts, Culture

Dominic · 06-03-2008, 12:37 PM

1st time Kelly is called a slut/whore/easy lay

RichGangi · 06-03-2008, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishwhenican

This should be fun. Love the show!
Al is also my Hero!!!!

+1. This is an awesome idea DB and I may just join you in rewatching the whole series. I

MWC.

**katyseagull** · 06-03-2008, 01:27 PM

Blarg · 06-03-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diebitter

Season 1, Episode 1: PILOT

synposis: Al wants to go to the ball-game, but Peg insists he stays in as they have guests coming, the newlyweds from next door, Marcy and Steve. Marcy and Steve get a little education about long-term relationships from the 15-years-married Bundys.

I'd rate this one: 7/10

This has the proper theme song and familiar titles that ran right through all seasons, with updates as the kids aged and Al, Peg and Marcy's husbands changed. The kids are very young here; Kelly must be around 13, and Bud is probably about 9. Peg is dressed as Peg always dresses, and has all the Peg mannerisms right off the bat (including the swinging crossed leg when she's sitting), but here she hasn't got the Peg red hair or big hair, more a spiked up brunette. also her makeup is quite different, and we don't get that great dark lipstick she came to use.

Al is Al, but younger and thinner than you'd probably remember him, but like Peg, his character is fully formed and firing on all cylinders from the start.

Peg and Al do come across as a identikit bickering married couple from a sitcom in a few exchanges, but that great Al-Peg thing is already there too.

It was good to see this one again.

Some Dialogue:

Al (to Steve): You know another thing that makes women such a blessing for us? It's when you're sitting somewhere and they come over and they say to you, "What are you thinking?" And you start thinking, "You know, if I wanted you to know, I'd be talking."
=================================
Marcy: I feel sports glorify violence and competition, and I don't think it's psychologically healthy. When we have a child, we don't want it to grow up with that winning-is-the-only-thing attitude. A child is better off not being exposed to sports.
Al: You gonna neuter him too?
=================================
Al (to Peg): I'm sorry, honey. I didn't hear you. I was just thinking of killing myself.
================================
Al (responding to Peg's comments about hair on his back): Peg, that hair serves a purpose. It keeps you offa me.

If I recall this episode correctly, it's the one where Marcy and Steve are the perfect young couple, and Al for his part and Peg for her part turn them against each other and completely corrupt them, and feel pretty good about doing it!

The rank insidiousness and knowing cynical corruption of the Bundys and their wordlessly assumed mission of matrimonial terrorism was a stunner and set a tone the rest of the series was very hard-pressed to keep up. I'd give this one a 10/10.

Blarg · 06-03-2008, 01:37 PM

Another trivia bit: Ed O'Neill was also considered for the role of Sam in Cheers. Imagine that: in one show he'd have been portraying a successful small businessman and widely beloved sports hero who's a superstud with a knack for the ladies, and in the other he's the virtual opposite.

Number7 · 06-03-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katyseagull

Haha this one is gold.

BigBuffet · 06-03-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diebitter

Peg does her leg-bobbing thing in ep 1 too.

Why do women do that?

Knuckles · 06-03-2008, 11:54 PM

Epic thread idea, I just told Tivo to start recording these again.

jafeather · 06-04-2008, 04:12 AM

I'm in....even if only vicariously. (this gives me a great reason to go buy season one tomorrow, though.)

madnak · 06-04-2008, 07:26 PM

I haven't seen much of this show. This seems like a good excuse.

samjjones · 06-04-2008, 09:57 PM

Steve > Jefferson, but Steve not as great on MWC as he was on It's Your Move.

Blarg · 06-04-2008, 10:29 PM

Steve was monster great compared to Jefferson IMO.

diebitter · 06-05-2008, 03:02 AM

Steve's good, but Jefferson is much better. I think those that doubt need to watch along.

diebitter · 06-05-2008, 05:41 AM

Season 1, Episode 2: Thinnergy

synposis: Peggy is feeling like Al doesn't find her attractive any more, so Marcy lends her a diet book called 'Thinnergy', which is meant to make you more energetic. Al doesn't want to go on it, but is talked into it by Steve, who says it'll easier to come off of it together. Peg and Al get VERY snippy once they're both eating like rabbits. Peg and Al make up at the end when Al stuffs a cream cake in her mouth and the diet is off.

I'd rate this one: 5/10

This is a very early one obviously, and it's pretty good at building the Bundy dynamic, but it's not particularly funny compared to many other episodes. Here, the show is still about the squabbling between Al and Peg as the main topic, rather being the magnificent canvas against which other stories take place. It was okay, but not outstanding, and Peg still doesn't look like the final Peg. Still more a brunette than a red, and no beehive thing she went on to get. The picture Katy posted earlier in this thread of Al and Peg at a table is from this episode.

Luke Ventura, Al's sidekick in the shoeshop is in this episode (he's in the pilot too), and he's my second least favourite semi-regular character in the entire 11-season run (can anyone guess the least favourite?). I never felt he really fitted properly into the Bundy universe, and really wasn't that great, funny or sympathetic.

Al gave a quite cool and sweet closing speech about what Peg means to him, equating her to his old baseball glove that he never uses. And like the pilot, the end the episode with them about to get it on.

Episode First: Peg singing specific songs, Peg in a nightdress, and it's clearly stated for the first time that Marcy hates Al.

And some dialogue:
Al: Oh honey, that again. Come here a second will ya, let me tell you something. Now just 'cause I don't go to bed with you, doesn't mean I don't love ya. I mean, let's face it, even if you were beautiful - like that girl on TV.. I'd still ignore ya. 'Cause you're my wife.

eurythmech · 06-05-2008, 07:58 AM

So...where do I find the porn version?