Season 8, Episode 11
Debra at the Lodge
Plot Summary-Debra volunteers to help out at Frank’s lodge
Nitpick of the episode-So is the lodge for old people only? Episodes like this it seems that way but then other times we get references to Frank going when the kids were little so he couldn’t have been very old. Oh and it seems like the lodge got the liquors license back that they had lost in The Bachelor Party
Best Line-“Your husband garbles heart pills because he’s had a 50 year love affair with ham.”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser, Amy wants to play a game before Marie and frank run in yelling about pulp
Best Character-Frank, I love how he stands up for his daughter in law
Worst Character-Ray, his old man jokes get, well, old. What is he jealous of in this episode exactly?
Final Thoughts-I get the feeling that this episode was intended to convey the fact that Debra can be happy and even has a few skills under her belt. That’s basically all I get from it. Debra is pretty awesome In this one and it’s nice to see Patricia Heaton sing and have fun. Though she comes off a bit naïve she should be able to see thru the guy’s behavior. Since we of course needed a conflict after Debra helps in the lodge, the best the writers came up with is the fact that the guys are all drooling over her. Sure. And the fact that the wives of the men are blaming Debra is even dumber. Especially in the tag when they take a look at Rays posterior. Is there such a thing as reverse sexism?
Grade-B-
Season 8, Episode 12
Slave
Plot Summary-When Debra realizes Ally is old enough to babysit, she thinks she has the means to get rid of Marie.
Nitpick of the episode-If you read my summary you can guess my complaint. Sounds like I’m referencing a superhero show. We’ll get to it below. By the way in the opening Ray and Debra leave the house at pretty much the same time how did they not run into each other in the driveway?
Best Line-“I think I’ll go see a movie with Amy and then have no children”. Robert
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser, the tag
Best Character-Ally, she is flat out adorable in this one.
Worst Character-Debra, I gave her a break in “Thank You Notes” but I just can’t here. When she realizes Ally could do more around the house, the way she throws her hands up in excitement and declares “goodbye Marie” is a little too much for me. Marie is Ray’s mother where does Debra think she’s going?
Final Thoughts-The Brady Bunch did it better. There, I said it. The episode has a good idea going for it, realizing Ally is old enough to take on more responsibility. But then it turns into another episode about Marie being insecure and Debra having a chance to cut her off. I know I said Debra was worst character but Marie comes close. Especially that moment when Robert has to stop himself from saying Ally’s pancakes are the best he’s ever tasted in front of her. She’s that insecure her that she can’t handle her granddaughter being good at something more than her? Of course Ray and Robert are scared to say anything to Marie about ally babysitting. And why didn’t Marie see this day coming, did she think she was going to have to help take care of the kids forever? Course the way the family reacts when they realize they left the twins home alone is a little extreme, the boys probably just would have sat there and watched TV. They’re not babies! This is also the point where Marie’s nastiness becomes more pronounced and obvious. Her excuses for why ally shouldn’t babysit are ridiculous (hence the title of the episode) and when she finally gets her way and Ally isn’t babysitting, she’s almost evil about it. Of course it’s not enough to be somewhere she has to be involved. The only thing saving the episode is Ally who is fantastic in every scene she’s in, including the tag where she seems to have become the adult. I guess the point of the episode is should kids help around the house or not. Um, yeah.
Grade-B
Season 8, Episode 13
Whose Side Are You On?
Plot Summary-Ray is upset when he finds out Debra has been placing bets with the kids expecting him to do stupid things.
Nitpick of the episode-To be fair, my mother sort of did this to us to. At the end of the episode RaY says he’ll read the kids a bedtime story. Yeah they’re a bit old for that.
Best Line-“Are the betting windows still open?”…Robert
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-Top of the second act with Ray arriving at Frank’s with the cake. Tag, Robert betting about Marie (which backfires when it proves Marie doesn’t notice him)
Best Character-Ray, he’s right in this one
Worst Character-Debra, I give her credit for realizing her error and apologizing but still she really should have known better. You don’t teach your kids it’s ok to make fun of their father, or anyone else for that matter. To be fair seeing her getting along and even having fun with her kids is nice to see.
Final Thoughts-This is something that probably happens a lot in real life, as I noted my mother had no trouble complaining about her husband in front of us. The only complaint is that the all the stuff with Frank feels like filler to pad out the episode. They’re smart enough to make Debra realize she was wrong. I love that we see the kids more in these episodes unlike the earlier years when they were almost nonexistent.
Grade-B
Season 8, Episode 14
Lateness
Plot Summary-When Ray complains Debra always make them late, Debra promises to be on time the next time they go out.
Nitpick of the episode-Ok fair is fair and Ray probably should have checked with Deb one last time before giving up and driving off. And I love when Robert describes how Amy does the “goodbye tour” because my wife did that too!
Best Line-“Yeah you and Robert but I’d never do that to the wife. That’s just suicide”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-more of ray realizing how much trouble he’s in
Syndication Edit- Teaser, Ray yelling up the stairs for Debra to hurry up (while we didn’t need to see this I think it does help to make Rays point later)
Best Character-Robert, it’s nice to see calm Robert and I can’t blame him for enjoying it when he realizes what ray has done
Worst Character-Debra, gee Deb maybe if you went downstairs rather than making sure your hair was pitch perfect than you never would have gotten your curling iron stuck. But of course this never comes up. And her “punishment” in the end is just ridiculous. Debra has every right to be mad but the episode takes it to far. Also when Ray is complaining about her taking her time Debra says it’s because she’s busy tending to the kids. Please Debra the kids aren’t babies anymore (in the earlier we see they were downstairs with Frank and Marie doing homework) you can’t keep making them your big excuse. Ray calls her on this and will again in another episode.
Final Thoughts-As I go through these episode this season I realize they aggravate more than other years. First the good part, and this is a very relatable problem. Is there any guy who doesn’t know what it feels like when their wife or girlfriend keeps them waiting? But the episode is ruined by the end when Debra is so angry that she decide to punish him by making him wait. Mature. And yes Ray driving off was a mistake, no defending that. Though I think every guy has had that fantasy. Problem is as good as it may feel to do that, it’s just looking for trouble. I love how they get into other ways husbands make their wives late, specifically when Robert comments on it takes them forever to leave someplace because Amy has to say goodbye to everyone. When I first saw this I was looking forward to the final discussion between Ray and Debra, but instead we get Debra being vindictive and no real resolution. Weak!
Grade-B-, this one pissed me off when I first saw it but in hindsight isn’t so bad.
Season 8, Episode 15
Party Dress
Plot Summary-Ally really wants a dress for a party but Ray thinks it’s too expensive
Nitpick of the episode-Why was Peggy shoehorned into this one? When Ally gets the dress she says she’ll do extra chores to pay for it. Um, why didn’t that come up earlier? Wouldn’t that have solved the problem if they told Ally she could have the dress if she helped pay for it? How about if Ray says he wont do a golf outing he had planned? Or what if Marie and Frank chip in and pay half for their granddaughter? Or see if there is a knock off somewhere that isn’t as expensive? Marie does say something about making her a dress but that’s it. That’s a HUGE flaw in the episode, they just discuss how expensive the dress is, end of story, when there are ways to deal it.
Best Line-“Maybe it’s made of unicorn fur”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-The guys come home to find the girls are watching the tv, Debra yelling at the kids
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser
Best Character-Ray, screw the way the episode ends buying the dress after all was so nice. I talked before about when Ray does something smart or nice something has to always cancel it out. This is probably the worst example since he nicely buys the dress for Ally anyway-only to find at the dance no one wore the fancy outfits! Oh and did I mention that its Rays fault that no one wore the dresses? Ugh
Worst Character-Peggy, there really isn’t anyone else to choose and while her idea is nice it’s the kind of thing you discuss with people before expecting them to shell out $250 for a dress. And it was a stupid idea. Peggy says she thought it’d be nice if the kids dressed up for once but expecting every family to shell out that kind of money for what was almost a non-event is pushing it. Why not just say the girls have to dress up but let them where a dress of THEIR CHOOSING! Why the exact same dress? Worst part is Ally says even Molly isn’t into the idea so….why bother?
Final Thoughts-Sigh….. the trend continues and this one really ticked me off. What was up with that ending? Ray does a nice thing in the end and gets Ally the dress. Why did they have to switch it so no one wore the dresses thus making Ally humiliated and Ray an idiot? Why??? This was such a good episode until then, with a relatable (though not well explored) problem and a sweet moment in the end. Why end it like that??? It killed me when I first saw it! I can’t believe it but I’m going to say it, Roseanne did it better!! Ok, deep breaths…..Most of this episode is pretty good, it’s nice to see Ray and Debra agree for once that the price is too high. Though Debra has to be convinced but that’s OK nothing wrong with presenting the opposite argument. And yes I get that ending bit was meant to call back to Frank’s bit when he says if you kid hates you then you’ve succeeded as a parent. It’s still forced and lame. In fact when I re-watched this for this review I didn’t remember it very well. That’s because I hated that tag so much I don’t watched it in re-run’s all the time.
Grade-C, tough one to grade because that last few second kills it and unlike the previous episode still does. But it’s sure not a god awful episode, and it’s great to see Ally central to the plot, but it is a severely flawed episode so will leave it at average.
Yeah these episodes weren’t so great, maybe next week will be better as we wrap up the season. Spoilers, it won’t.
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