Thoughts on Mad About You, episode 96-101

 

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"Family. This is not a job for strangers."

-- The more things change, the more they stay the same. Paul and Jamie might be parents-to-be, but they're not living with completely clean slates. Not being especially familiar with Mad About You's later seasons, I was surprised by Paul's casual bitter joke about Doug Berkus* and Jamie finally calling Paul out about his nearly going home with a stranger. Even more striking is that these are more or less throwaway moments, mattering most as strokes in the big picture. Jamie's still toiling away with the Brockwell mayoral campaign and the Buchmans realize they should continue having joint therapy sessions. Michael Lembeck directed all six episodes in today's batch.

*Jamie says Doug's in Albany and Paul wonders if he'll try to kiss the governor's wife.

-- Paul and Jamie are a little in disbelief that she's pregnant. He knows it's a special moment, with Jamie suggesting that it's poetic, magical or sublime. "This is good." Jamie wants to wait on telling everybody until it's confirmed by a doctor and she's farther along. Since Mark is unavailable, the Buchmans are in search of a new gynecologist. They correctly, albeit vaguely, explain to Ira that Jamie needs one for "a woman thing." Why not Joan, Debbie's partner Joan (Suzie Plakson, making her MAY debut)? Debbie, who's preparing to introduce Joan to Burt & Sylvia, is insistent. Jamie, meanwhile, is looking forward to no longer being the lowest person on Sylvia's totem pole.

-- Joan confirms Jamie's pregnancy and, to her credit, isn't hurt that the Buchmans might not choose her as the gynecologist. Debbie's hurt enough for both of them. Ira, meanwhile, is asking any woman he can find (a hookup, a bakery sales clerk, his cleaning lady) about their doctors, resulting in him getting slapped. Paul and Jamie end up at the cream of the crop, Dr. VonDerphal (John O'Hurley). Interestingly (to me, anyway), the good doctor is presented more or less straight. MAY already did the doctor-as-god routine last season and I'm glad they didn't have O'Hurley just do Petermann in a lab coat. 

-- Anyway, Burt and Sylvia end up getting along famously with Joan and take Debbie's side in the gynecology dispute ("Joan is your sister-in-law ... essentially."). There's some interesting edgy humor ("Dr. Wonderful" was written by Victor Levin & Larry Charles), where the elder Buchmans decide that since Joan's a lesbian, she's especially qualified as a gynecologist, before joining Debbie in suggesting Paul and Jamie aren't as liberal as them seem. Either way, Jamie's still at the bottom of the totem pole. Paul and Jamie are accepted by Dr. V.D. (again, cracking myself up here), but decide they want Joan. It's their first parental decision. We get a punchline to Ira's bit: after all his trouble, he suggests VonDerphal to Paul and Jamie, only to learn they've gone with Joan, his original suggestion, after all.

-- Next up is "The Grant," a collaboration among Levin, Charles & Season Five-only writers Jenji Kohan & Richard Day. Jamie's having a hard time functioning without coffee, which she gave up because of the pregnancy. Paul's sorta but not really giving up coffee, too. Anyway, the Brockwell campaign continues to be a headache. He (now played by Harry Groener) doesn't speak in soundbites, which doesn't please the media. Paul, who's got to put some grant money to use**, learns that he and Ira have been summoned to Uncle Phil's place in Brooklyn. They have no clue why.

**The Total Filmmaker: Some of Paul's past ideas are either dated ("Apollo 14: The One That Went Smoothly") or boring (the lives of horses).

-- Patrick Bristow is back, this time as fellow Brockwell campaign worker Troy. He keeps trying to give Jamie some coffee, which leads to her ranting about the beverage as a socially-acceptable drug to a New York Times reporter. The paper decides to go with this non-story (The more things change ...!), especially since Java Hut is a major campaign contributor. For whatever reason, Jamie is also obligated to be photographed/filmed "drinking" some coffee. Troy knows that she didn't really swallow it.

-- Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Paul and Ira take in the familiar smell of Old Spice and onion rolls. Uncle Phil (Mel Brooks) calls for firm embraces before revealing why he called over the guys. He needs his couch moved. "I can do it myself, only I can't." The couch has to be closer to the TV, as Tom Brokaw is now a blur. If Phil moves the TV, he'll end up losing the color blue. Paul is struck by the fact that he and Ira were dispatched to Brooklyn to move a couch. Maybe tomorrow they'll go to Nebraska and change a lightbulb. Anyway, the couch (an Eagle) is heavy and had been covering up many Buchman family photos. The story of Uncle Nutty, who made hats for the tsar before moving his whole village from Russia to New York, give Paul the idea to cover his family history. Phil is proud ... and he wants the couch back to where it was. Later, a wide-away Jamie falls asleep at the idea of the new movie.

-- I think I'll give the crown for this batch to Reiser & Hunt for "Therapy," written by Richard Day. It pulls off the comedy and drama balance especially well. Paul's preparing to film Burt & Sylvia for Buchman, Murray doesn't like the apartment's new spinning bookcase and Jamie's still putting up with work. It so happens that Dr. Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney), recommended by Fran during Paul and Jamie's estrangement, is now available to see the Buchmans. Yes, Paul and Jamie are happy now, but is it for the right reasons? Wouldn't it be a good idea to have their happiness confirmed by a pro? Paul has the attitude of "If it ain't broke, don't ask it about its childhood."

-- The first session starts off as you'd expect. The Buchmans maintain that they're at Sheila's for literally no reason. They end up (off screen) recapping the end of Season Four, concluding they they're closer than ever and appreciate what they have. Sheila asks Paul and Jamie to talk to each other as the other person, which also appears to not be productive. A little later, Shelia suggests total honest. "Jamie ... I feel good about you." Paul has so much love for her, and just the tinniest dollop of anger for having them attend therapy on a critical day for Buchman. Jamie responds by mentioning her anger first. Directed to consider vulnerability, Jamie says "I'm afraid of heights and you're selfish to put your job ahead of us." Before Paul and Jamie can get much further into it, Sheila says time's up.

-- Over at Burt & Sylvia's, they're not at ease before the camera and their first date story isn't all that interesting. Paul directs his parents to act rather than act naturally, but there's little improvement. Paul attempts to repurpose Sheila's jargon. Sylvia: "I see: we bore you." Burt: "... So, we're done?" At Brockwell headquarters, Troy is hostile. It seems that while Jamie was gone, Brockwell went from talking about healthcare to youth to revealing he's on Prozac. It helps Lance cope with debilitating panic attacks. Troy suggests that Brockwell lie about his condition, adding to the rivalry between himself and Jamie.

-- A little later, Sylvia doesn't react well to the idea that Paul's in therapy. She figures that mothers are always blamed, before saying that Paul being bottle-fed reflected the times, not her parenting. Sylvia also laments Debbie's lesbianism and Paul being in therapy. "Thank God Sharon lives in New Jersey!" Back at the Brockwell office, Lance is frazzled after only 13 minutes off his medication. Jamie lays down the law with Troy. She's not going to accept him making plays for her job and no, he's not her equal. He's a gofer, he can go get the Equal. So I guess Jamie's back to drinking some coffee ... Lance goes back on the Prozac, Burt & Sylvia's story is shared*** and Paul and Jamie decide to continue their therapy. It's better to face problems, since they can't outright destroy them, like Murray did with the bookshelf.

***Paul was unaware that it included an encounter with a mobster who wanted to dance with Sylvia, was intimidated by Burt supposedly reaching for his piece, and died two days later.

-- "The Clip Show" is credited to Jonathan Leigh Solomon, who'll last through Season Six, and Leslie Caveny, who'll be gone by midseason. Paul and Jamie are trying to feel the baby move. While they do so, Jamie introduces to-be-Mabel to various music. She and Paul reflect on how the baby will be a combination of what they've been through up to its birth. Academy Award winner Chuck Workman (was he a fan?) created the montages in "The Clip Show," which go all over the place. If I were to rewatch, there's probably a clip from all 97 episodes up to and including "The Grant." There's some grouping (everyday couple activity, exclamations, emotion, guest stars, people in their lives, Murray), but for the most part, this is almost a stream-of-consciousness episode. It ends sweetly, with Paul and Jamie considering that their baby may have chosen them as parents.

-- Episode 100, the one where MAY crossed the then-common threshold for syndicated reruns, is "Burt's Building." Written by Ron Darian, Levin and Charles, it's a good one for Louis Zorich. Paul's concerned that Burt's getting senile. Jamie's not happy that Paul's been habitually late to their appointments with Joan. Paul just has to do one work-related thing today, film Burt at their old building. (This, by the way, is a continuity error. Previously, it was implied that Burt & Sylvia's apartment was where they raised their family.) Anyway, Paul promises to see Jamie and Joan at 5 p.m. He shows up at 5:30 with a good excuse.

-- Back in the day, the Buchmans lived on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx. Paul's present-day aggravations continue with Burt not immediately recognizing which building was his (it had a wrought iron railing and a stoop), a sarcastic cameraman who calls Paul "Hitchcock", Burt appearing to not immediately remember which apartment was his and a flaky present tenant (Allan Corduner) who approves of the movie being named Buchman without Mr. or such on. Once Paul gets the okay to film in the apartment, he finds Burt is gone!

-- Ira and Paul set out to search the neighborhood, with Ira putting his own spin on the "henhouse, outhouse and doghouse" spiel from The Fugitive. Ira's hesitant to split up, as it'll be getting dark soon and they're in a not-so-great neighborhood. (Which is funny because we're clearly on the backlot.) Anyway, Paul ends up at Trudy's Soda Fountain, where he stole a five-pack of Bazooka gum in 1964. Burt wouldn't buy it, pulling the "Because I'm your father" routine. The present-day clerk (Markus Redmond) observes that Paul's the first white man he's seen all day and could care less about Paul wanting to pay for the gum (suggesting that with inflation, it's worth $4,000). Anyway, at the apartment, Ira imitates Burt to keep Sylvia at bay and Paul realizes he's been at the wrong place after all. Burt knew where home was and he's been catching up with a former neighbor. Burt's aware of Paul's concerns, but he still deserves some respect, "Because I'm your father." Burt knows Paul will do even better at being a dad. Back at Joan's, Jamie accepts the excuse, Paul realizes he again stole Bazooka gum and the "Because I'm you're father" routine works at getting Mabel's heartbeat to be heard.

-- We conclude with "Jamie's Parents," the first from Maria Semple, who'll stick around through Season Six. Carol Burnett and Carroll O'Connor, with this episode, assume the roles of Theresa and Gus Stemple. In the past, I've not been a fan of Carol and Carroll's casting, feeling it was one of the more egregious examples of Must See TV-era stunt-casting. I'm a little more tolerant this time around. It's not that O'Connor gave a bad performance, it's just that he doesn't have much to work with. The whole idea with Gus is that he and Paul can't communicate beyond sports, politics (just superficial discussion) and the stock market. Burnett, on the other hand, has a fun character (it's amazing how much use MAY has gotten out of Theresa's inability to directly say how she feels) and the chance to do some physical comedy and mugging. I'm not surprised Carol won the Emmy for guest acting for 1996-97.

-- The Stemples are visiting the Buchmans before going on vacation. It could be a big romantic trip abroad. Jamie considers her and Paul going somewhere, whether Kentucky or Puerto Rico. (That's right. Assuming they didn't go anywhere between seasons, they haven't had a vacation since "Two Tickets to Paradise"). Theresa and "Poppy" reveal they have an RV, are heading to Saskatchewan and will be on the road and back for the next two months. It's soon apparent Gus is more into the idea than Theresa is. Meanwhile, the two couples try maneuvering through and eating dinner in the cramped vehicle. The sequence, which is fun, feels like it was included for Carol Burnett's benefit. Anyway, Gus and Theresa end up fighting. It's more than their usual twice-a-year, two-second argument. She's leaving him after 37 years of marriage.

-- Angst has been building up since 1971, Theresa reveals. She's allowed to stay with the Buchmans, but Jamie is determined to reconcile her folks. She and Lisa will work on Theresa when they go to Broadway and Paul can work on Gus when they're at a Jets game. Gus knows Paul's a nice kid, but he doesn't want to talk about it. After all, what could a man married for five years say about a 37-year marriage? Gus knows that Theresa communicates by code and the message is always that she's always unhappy and it's always his fault. Meanwhile, Lisa's identity is shaken (she needs to be able to look down on her parents) and Theresa's making friends. She also stares lustily at a handsome, younger Black man. The roles of mother and child have shifted for Theresa and Jamie, with the former saying "you can't make me" talk more about her problems.

-- Once again, we're back to Paul and Jamie's apparently tenuous happiness. She's considering playing the baby card. They aren't people who'd be getting back for a shallow reason, they're her parents. It's too late, though. Just when Jamie's about to leave, Theresa arrives. She just said goodbye to Gus. They'll talk again in a couple of months. Theresa reflects on how Jamie will someday be a good mom. After some tension, Jamie decides not to reveal her pregnancy. Okay, a little serialization works ...

-- The Courtship of Fran and Mark/Supporting Character Corner: They're in Europe for another three months ("Dr. Wonderful"). Aside from clips, Leila Kenzle isn't in this batch at all. For that matter, not counting clips, John Pankow's in three out of six episodes, Anne Ramsay's in one, Louis Zorich's in three, Cynthia Harris' in two, Robin Bartlett's in one, Suzie Plakson's in two, and Harry Groener and Patrick Bristow are in two.

-- Musical Moments: "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?" plays as Paul and Jamie consider and visit various gynecologists ("Dr. Wonderful"). The montage soundtracks include "Green Onions," "Everyday I Write the Book" and an instrumental version of "Fever." Jamie asks Paul if he's going to be like the dad in "Cat's in the Cradle" ("Burt's Building").

-- Blooper: The boom mike can be seen as Paul and Ira enter Uncle Phil's ("The Grant"). If the flashback is in 1964, shouldn't the portrait at Trudy's be of Lyndon Johnson ("Burt's Building")?

-- Continuity Corner: Great Aunt Ruthie Buchman entered America at Ellis Island. She was not a looker. "To come into a new country with a face like that?" Some people have a cleft chin, Ruthie had a cliff! There was also Great Uncle Louie, a fantastic fighter until in the ring. ("The Grant"). The best part of this sequence is (a) watching Mel Brooks work and (b) watching Reiser and Pankow try to stay in character. Also, Paul is 39 ("Burt's Building").

-- The Buchmans Go Broadway: An ad for Cats is in Paul and Ira's subway car ("The Grant"). Brockwell enters singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" ("Therapy"; for the record, Groener played Will Parker, not Curly, in 1979). Paul's CDs include the Guys and Dolls original cast recording and Jamie specifically says, "Daddy loves show tunes" ("The Clip Show"). Jamie, Lisa and Theresa see Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, but not before Paul gets snotty about the title ("Jamie's Parents").

-- Hey, It's 1996!: "The Best Doctors in New York" ("Dr. Wonderful") was a legitimate New York issue, dated May 20. Paul gets Jamie to ask "Got Milk?" and tells Ira that they took Mrs. Olson(Virginia Christine)'s death quite hard ("The Grant").

-- Fun With Not-Product Placement: Ira brings over not-exactly Starbucks ("The Grant"). Sylvia serves not-Pepsi ("Therapy") and later so does Osofsky ("Burt's Building"). Jamie may or may not be reading Martha Stewart Living ("Burt's Building").

-- Didja Notice?: The Buchmans' books include Behind the Oscar: The Secret History of the Academy Awards ("Therapy").

-- Great Moments in Shilling: Dr. VonDerphal was the inspiration for Dr. Greene on ER ("Wonderful"). If the switch from black and white to color and JFK portrait to Clinton portrait wasn't enough to let you know time had passed at Trudy's, there's also the clips of The Huntley-Brinkley Report and the NBC Nightly News ("Burt's Building").

-- Before the Credits: Jamie and Paul finding out she's pregnant is repeated ("Dr. Wonderful"). Paul can't fully dance the Macarena (Hey, It's 1996!; "The Grant"). Jamie's nausea is so strong, Paul can't have dinner in the apartment ("Jamie's Parents").

-- During the Credits: Check out the new images of Paul, Helen and occasionally Maui! For this batch (and the rest of the season?), the images alternate.

-- Under the Credits: Sylvia and Burt call Debbie to reiterate their praise of Joan, particularly that she's strapping ("Dr. Wonderful"). Extra footage of Uncle Phil with Paul and Ira ("The Grant"). Dr. Sheila records her impressions of Paul and Jamie, also revealing Al Roker is a patient (Great Moments in Shilling again!; "Therapy"). Joan and Jamie listen to Paul's stomach sounds ("Burt's Building"). Theresa directs Gus over the phone on where to find items in the RV ("Jamie's Parents").

-- Ratings Roundup: Starting with Season Five, MAY was NBC's new Tuesday night anchor. The show faced off against Roseanne, Promised Land, FOX's movie and Moesha. Roseanne (which Mo Gaffney appeared on twice during this batch) and new sitcom Life's Work would eventually fall to MAY and Something So Right, but in the fall of '96, ABC's Tuesday was riding high. Home Improvement led most weeks, often followed by Spin City. Also of note, Caroline in the City was a more solid ratings performer than I remembered. I guess it helped being between Frasier and Dateline NBC.

-- The choice TV movie during this batch was CBS' To Face Her Past. I've highlighted it before, and for good reason. Patty Duke, faced with daughter Tracey Gold's leukemia, comes clean to husband David Ogden Stiers about her teenage relationship with boyfriend James Brolin, which resulted in illegitimate daughter Gabrielle Carteris, the only one who can give Tracey some needed bone marrow. Never let it be said you didn't get your money's worth from one of Patty's movies.