Thoughts on Mad About You, episodes 107-111

 

Courtesy Amadeus3000

"Me son's a clover boy!"

-- The Buchman saga continues, with one episode I loved, one that half-worked and a subplot that was like nails on a chalkboard to me. Well, I guess it's a reprieve from the worst of "How We Met Our Mabel." The two pregnancy-related episodes were actually among this batch's best. David Steinberg directed most of today's run, with Gordon Hunt (Helen's dad) helming "Her Houseboy, Coco."

-- We begin with "The Handyman," written by Richard Day. Lisa's enjoying life as an heiress to be. Zigmund Klarik is buying her and Sanford a house. He's rich enough that the cost is considered chump change. Paul, on the other hand, has to watch his finances. Losing a day of filming because of rain is a $9,000 loss, meaning Buchman is now $13,000 in the red. Paul and Jamie are also dealing with a fridge that's seen better days. Sanford offers to get money from Zigmund, but Paul shares his hesitancy about mixing business and family. (This from a documentarian who's making a film about his family.) Paul and Jamie know they have to call Doug the handyman, who Paul is reluctant to share with Lisa and Sanford. Doug is that rare gem, competent and without too many clients to make him unavailable.

-- You know how it goes. Right after the first payment, new expenses emerge. Paul, who later compares the experience to Faust, needs to reshoot some footage. He could also use better editing equipment. Ira justifies asking Sanford for more money as saying it's like taking candy from an over-privileged baby. Meanwhile, Lisa meets Doug (Scott Atkinson). It's lust at first sight. "(How-to) Books are good. I'm better." The pair get wet, then share a passionate kiss. Lisa's so dickmatized that she declares she's in love with Doug and wants to call off the wedding. Not counting Sanford, Paul's the one who immediately suffers. Zigmund files an injunction to half the production of Buchman and seize Paul's materials. Doug also doesn't have time to help the Buchmans. (What happened to Mr. Wicker?) Doug pays for getting involved with Lisa when she realizes it's Sanford she loves.

-- Ed Asner's a great actor, but Zigmund isn't a great character. "Handyman" has its moments, but they're Lisa-centric. I didn't like watching Paul and Ira literally grovel and the finale wasn't as good as it could have been. I get that Jamie got Buchman back because she stood up to Zigmund. Klarik, by the way, is only being nasty (using what leverage he has) so that he can force Paul and Jamie into forcing Lisa into getting back together with Sanford. But how is Jamie seeing Zigmund naked (she drained his bathtub to get what she wanted) leverage for Jamie and/or humiliating for Zigmund? The two were alone. It's not like he had guests downstairs, she had a camera or he's given any indication of being modest. Like I said, I understand the point of what happens, but either it needed to be made more clearly or the execution needed to be improved. 

-- Much, much better is Paul and Lisa's scene. She's waiting for the usual excuses from Jamie, namely that the breakup's not Lisa's fault. Lisa asks Paul what he'd say. After claiming he'd say the same, in his own words, Paul finally calls Lisa out. "I would say ... okay ... I would say you're 35 years old and if you don't start acting like it, then you're just going to keep on hurting yourself and everybody around you ..." Eventually there will be a Lisa-centered universe of hurt. "That's not the same at all." Jamie later tells Paul he paid her back for the film recovery with what he said to Lisa. All's well except for the fridge. Doug shows up to tell Paul and Jamie that he blames them for his recent emotional upheaval and can no longer be their handyman. "(after pleading with him) Can you recommend somebody?"

-- Next (at least in my viewing) is "The Penis," written by Maria Semple, Day and Larry Charles. Paul and Jamie are considering baby names, everything from "Mirabella" to "Otto" to any member of The Jackson 5. Complicating matters is that the Buchmans don't know if Jamie's carrying a boy or a girl. Jamie says she doesn't want to know until she delivers and since possession is nine-tenths of the law, she easily trumps Paul. Curious about Joan's cooing, Paul accidentally peeks and sees what he thinks is proof that it's a boy. And what a boy! Paul and Ira later share some manly pride before acknowledging, "Who we kidding?" The baby bliss is interrupted by the news that Uncle Phil's in the hospital.

-- Paul and Jamie fear the worse when they visit, but it turns out Phil was just stuck in a closed hospital bed. It was the first time he'd ever been folded in half. "Of course you know I'm dying." Phil's certain. He saw God hovering over him, maybe a little to the left. God has no airs, someone who's perfect but doesn't rub your nose in it. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I once again get the feeling Mad About You just let Mel Brooks use some trunk material for a few minutes. To his credit, though, it is funny. Phil goes off on a tangent about how he doesn't like pineapple in his jello, since it causes the dessert to lose its shimmy. He ends up dumping the food directly into a bedpan. "Saved it a trip." Before going off to surgery, Phil asks for a big favor. If Paul and Jamie have a boy, he'd like them to name it after him. Actually, he'd like them to give the boy his real name, Deuteronomy.

-- Jamie figures they're in the clear, since she's certain she's carrying a girl. Sylvia wants to know if the Buchmans agreed to name their kid "Appendectomy." The Buchmans, Burt & Sylvia and Ira banter for a bit about kids being cruel (Burt was called "Fat ass" as a boy; "Ira" in itself is a mockable name) and maternal instinct. Watching this scene, I thought about how nice it was that Paul and Jamie weren't holding a gender reveal party. Anyway, Paul reveals that he peeked and did see a little penis. Paul and Jamie, both agreeing to get out of their promise with Uncle Deuteronomy, return to the hospital to find him leading a performance of "The Turkey Trot." 

-- Phil didn't need surgery, he just had gas. After first trying to sell Paul and Jamie on the benefits of naming their kid Deuteronomy (unlike a Joe or John, he'll always know when his sandwich is ready), Phil remembers his own childhood mocking experience. Eventually he realized he had his "fill" of that and a name was born. Paul and Jamie are off the hook. He does suggest Rose as a girl's name, since it may or may not have been his mother's moniker. As for Paul's certainty (Joan: "Big expert penis-spotter, are you?"), it turns out that the penis he spotted was actually a finger. Privately, Paul's still holding out hope for a boy.

-- "The Penis" was a good episode, but "Citizen Buchman," written by Victor Levin, wins my crown for this batch. Buchman includes the last moments of Uncle Marty (Shecky Greene*), who never could make a name for himself financially. The family joke, Sylvia says, is that Marty's biography would start with Chapter II. Marty's about to share his greatest regret when he dies. "... Hoomoos." Paul and Jamie are responsible for organizing the funeral and Paul decides to also pursue the mystery of "Hoomoos." No, Paul doesn't think Marty was trying to say "hummus."

*Who, holy cow, is still with us at age 95. I've mentioned before that I'm kinda fond of Shecky, but not necessarily for his comedy. "Shecky" was my dad's pet name for my kid brother.

-- Len Lesser, already known for playing Uncle Leo on Seinfeld, adds another obnoxious relative to his repertoire. Here, he's Uncle Arnold, who speaks with a phony Irish brogue. Arnold suggests Marty wanted a farmer's life. Sylvia thinks it was more philosophical. The "moos" means "moose," a big animal, much like God would be overall. Burt figures Marty was actually saying "Hey Miss," the brothers' blouse company from the 1940s. The company failed, with Marty accusing Burt of skimming from the profits. Burt is exonerated by former bookkeeper Miriam Sass (Florence Stanley, formerly of My Two Dads), who says there were no profits, thus no skimming. Miriam says she thinks the words were "Hugh Moss," who Marty knew had an affair. The woman in question was ... Sylvia!

-- I've told you the story of my grandma's funeral, right? The one with the not-so-great eulogizer, a priest no less? "We are here today to remember ... *I swear he turned a page* ... Mary." That came back to me when watching the Buchmans meet with the guy assigned to Marty's funeral. He just so happens to be played by David Steinberg! In between garbling everybody's names, the eulogist learns the latest about the "Hoo moos" controversy. Sylvia comes clean about her fling while Burt was fighting World War II, but insists all she did was flirt with Hugh Moss. Yes, Marty knew, and Sylvia wonders why he couldn't have kept quiet about it for eight seconds longer. Aunt Blossom (Jill C. Klein), Arnold's wife, insists Sylvia went all the way with Hugh, but he (Fred de Cordova!) says that wasn't the case. No, she was a pain in the ass. According to Hugh, the word was "homos," symptomatic of Marty's internalized inability to fully accept Arnold's gay son David (Sam Lloyd). The news comes out, and so does David. Jared (Christian Clemenson) doesn't believe "homos" was Marty's last word.

-- Finally, it's time for the funeral. The most prominent mourner is Marty's brother Harold (Sid Caesar), who's upset that Paul didn't directly notify him about what happened. The eulogizer, after butchering a few more names, mentions the "Hoo moos" mystery. Harold knows what it's about. In 1933, he and Marty were at camp. A game in the woods ended tragically, with Marty's arrow striking Harold in the ass. From then on, Marty would never eat anything speared, or use a fork. Marty, you see, was so pained by the idea of anyone in his family being hurt. He would have hated all the rumors and bitterness going around over "Hoo moos." Once again, we pause for a bit of a comedy pro's schtick, as Caesar slips into some foreign gibberish. All's well that ends well. David and Jared are accepted (by Debbie, at least). Blossom apologies for implying Sylvia was a whore. Harold and Paul make up. Paul thinks his movie has a great ending, the family at peace, but Jamie thinks it's too neat. She's right. Marty was actually just reading the serial number (hoo-moo5) of Paul's camera when he died.

-- Next up is "Her Houseboy, Coco," also written by Levin. It includes the returns of Hank Azaria as Nat and Jerry Adler as Mr. Wicker. New York's experiencing extremely cold temperatures and there's no heat in the Buchmans' building. Joan, meanwhile, informs Jamie that she's having a placenta issue that will be resolved with a few days bedrest. Joan orders Jamie to stay in bed and Paul to stay at home and take care of Jamie. Paul begins his duties with an enthusiasm subsequently eroded as the day goes on. Jamie wants just the right sweater and potato pancakes for breakfast. Meanwhile, Murray had an accident in the bathroom and he's noticeably distant and detached from his humans. Sylvia, who hangs out at the apartment during the day (and is presently there to measure for a crib), suggests it might be time to put Murray down. This doesn't sit well with Nat, who brought Murray a parka to match his own. Sylvia scoffs at Paul's pet love, saying he flushed a turtle at age four.

-- Because Paul's forced to stay at home, he can't sign contracts with Ira and some stupid suits (who heard Paul's "joke"). Shortly after, the pancakes are burnt and the Buchmans learn Nat's kidnapped Murray. It's for Murray's own good, Nat insists. Nat isn't especially skilled at dognapping. Paul and Jamie know Nat's at his apartment, yet he continues to keep his calls brief so the can't easily be traced. By this point, Paul's sick of tending to Jamie (which is unfair in my opinion, it's not like she was that demanding). Anyway, the Buchmans' bedroom begins to resemble the stateroom in A Night at the Opera. Wicker shows up to fix the heat. Burt arrives to help Sylvia measure. There's also Lisa (who decides to play Yahtzee with Jamie), Debbie (showing off her birthday present to Joan, a charm bracelet), a pair of fat plumbers Wicker called, Ira and the suits and eventually Nat. Once Paul and Jamie agree to Nat's demands (no euthanasia, still loving Murray despite having a child, hand-brushing Murray's teeth), they get their dog back. The heat returns as Joan arrives. She's appalled by her orders being disobeyed, but Paul makes up for it by kicking out everybody -- including Joan. Now that Paul and Jamie are alone, she's hungry.

-- Finally, "Astrology," written by Jenji Kohan & Charles. Professor Tomassi (Steven Gilborn), Paul's film school mentor, has nice things to say about Buchman. Well, except for a part at its beginning. Meanwhile, Paul, Jamie, Ira and Lisa learn that Nat's sister Dorrie (Melanie Mayron) is in town. She's a gifted astrologer and almost everyone's interested in getting a consultation. Jamie's the one who's not interested. The charts, naturally, reveal interesting information. Mercury's in retrograde for Lisa ("No wonder my life sucks."); she's going to experience a big change (other than her engagement ending?). Ira, who's not currently dating, will soon face heartbreak. He brushes this off and flirts with a receptive Dorrie. Things are looking wonderful for Paul, except someone close to him is experiencing feelings of anger, resentment and jealousy towards him. Alas, the charts don't indicate who it is. Jamie's reading goes poorly. She was supposedly born on Feb. 18, 1963 (new continuity!), but nothing indicates she's an aquarius. Dorrie is convinced Jamie's a liar.

-- Nat, upset about the hostility between Dorrie and Jamie, decides to quit working for the Buchmans. Paul notes that blood is thicker than water, a cliché Nat deliberately wanted to avoid. Murray doesn't react well to losing Nat. Paul, meanwhile, has torn apart his movie trying to figure out what Tomassi didn't completely like. Is it possible that he's the jealous individual? Is it possible that Tomassi resents being a professor while Paul is out making movies? If you haven't guessed, this was the subplot I hated. I've had to put up with four seasons of Paul occasionally overinflating the importance of his work. Honestly, I don't care that Buchman is underappreciated by Tomassi. That said, I liked Tomassi admitting there was much he didn't like. The first hour was bad, the material about the Buchmans at Ellis Island was cloying and Sylvia was too over the top. Hey, ask for criticism and you get it.

-- Meanwhile, Lisa is fired from Klarik's. I'm surprised she still worked there. She wasn't serving customers, focusing instead on what the imminent big change in her life could be. Jamie, meanwhile, has found her birth certificate. She was actually born on February 19. Theresa is forced to tell the truth. She lied about Jamie's birthday because the cutoff for preschool was February 18. All of Jamie's life, Theresa has felt guilty about how Jamie looked so happy on her "birthday" and couldn't celebrate the real deal. (Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how a 34-year-old woman is just now seeing her birth certificate.) Now that the truth's out, things make more sense astrologically for Jamie and she ends up mending fences with Dorrie. Not only that, but Nat's now okay with going to see Murray again. Aww ... Nat leaves his apartment with a rather jaunty step. Back at the Buchmans', Paul figures that no one's actually jealous of him and Ira's mourning the relationship that never was with Dorrie. It turns out that Jamie's the one who's jealous of Paul ... *incoming lame punchline* ... since he can drink cappuccino.

-- Hey, It's 1997!/Awards Watch: Before this batch, Helen Hunt won her third and last Golden Globe specifically for playing Jamie. Paul Reiser and MAY lost to John Lithgow and 3rd Rock from the Sun.

-- Hey, It's the '90s!: Jamie's reading the April 29, 1996 issue of New York, with a cover story on the auction of Jackie O's belongings ("Penis"). Jared is referred to in Buchman as "David's 'friend.'" Trying to figure out who's jealous of him, Paul suggests Seal ("Astrology").

-- Words to Live By: "Watch classic films and emulate, but don't imitate" ("Astrology").

-- Today in Classic Film: Besides "Citizen" being a spoof of Orson Welles' masterpiece, Citizen Kane (directly referred to by Paul), "Handyman" includes Ira making fun of Paul's stance on business and family by asking if he's a Corleone. Not only that, but Paul does a Brando imitation in "Penis." Paul later claims to Sylvia that "colorful Method actor Christopher Walken" went on the bathroom floor. She observes that Murray's glazed over look mimics Burt's when they saw The English Patient. Later, Nat contrasts the situation to movies like Dog Day Afternoon and Three Days of the Condor ("Coco").

-- Today in Classic TV: While figuring out Marty's placement in the mausoleum, Paul suggests "Uncle Jules to block" ("Buchman"). Nat repeats his "Murray Tyler Moore" pet name before calling him "Murray Povich" and "Murray Osmond" ("Coco"). This one maybe belongs under shilling, since she was still an NBC News employee, but Nat also calls him "Murray-ia Shriver Schwarzenegger" ("Astrology").

-- Fun With Product Placement: The Buchmans have not-Post Shredded Wheat but actual Carlsberg beer ("Handyman") and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter ("Citizen").

-- Continuity Corner: It's not said, but I'm guessing the additional lost $4,000 for Buchman came from either the (at least) half-day delays in "Therapy" or "Burt's Building." Zigmund's fortune didn't just come from retail. He was a leading distributor of urinal ice ("Handyman"). Burt and Sylvia are evidently a decade older than I originally assumed ("Buchman"; in reality, Louis Zorich was born in 1924 and Cynthia Harris in 1934). Speaking of "Buchman," Marty and Harold are apparently Paul's great-uncles, not brothers to Burt and Arnold (and Phil), unless de Cordova screwed up a line. I also have no clue where Ira and his immediate family fit into all of this. Sylvia kept the house key she received in "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" ("Coco").

-- Supporting Scores: Ira's in all five episodes. Lisa's in three. Burt and Sylvia are also in three. Joan and Debbie are in two each, both appearing in "Coco" and one extra ("Penis" and "Citizen," respectively). Nat's in two. Wicker's in one (he'll make one more appearance in the original series, then two in the revival). Fran's in zero.

-- Before the Credits: Jamie likes, then is curious about the inspiration for, Paul's "Big-Boned and Bitter" song ("Handyman"). Paul realizes he's wearing Jamie's maternity underwear ("Penis"). A bumpy cab ride kills Paul and Jamie's romantic mood ("Coco"). Paul learns you can't microwave an egg ("Astrology").

-- During the Credits: Starting with "The Penis," the theme song alternates between Andrew Gold and Anita Baker's recordings.

-- Under the Credits: Uncle Phil shares girls names he likes, including Trixie, Dixie and Louise ("Penis"). The bad eulogist preaches about Jezebel ("Citizen"; comedic sermons were David Steinberg's specialty back in the day). Paul prepares to brush Murray's teeth, ending by asking, "Is it safe?" ("Coco"). Murray has his chart read ("Astrology").

-- Ratings Roundup: A range of 12.2 and third place for "Handyman" and 9.4 and 13th place (out of 15) for "Coco." That had to have scared a few people at NBC. Of note: "Astrology" was apparently supposed to air on Feb. 4, 1997, but programming was pulled for coverage of the civil suit against O.J. Simpson. The TV movie crown goes to The Perfect Mother, with Tyne Daly terrorizing daughter-in-law Ione Skye.