Courtesy Sony Pictures Television
*Jamie, preparing to give birth, shushes Paul*
"Don't talk."
"Just me?"
"Yes."
"I'm not allowed to talk?"
"Please?"
"... Joan just talked."
"Anyone can talk, just not you."
"... I just don't understand ..."
"(interrupting) What, are you kidding me now? You're gonna pick a fight with me now?"
-- I'm pretty sure this exchange was used to represent Helen Hunt at the 49th Primetime Emmy's, where she once again won for playing Jamie. Helen and Paul Reiser share my crown for this batch, with Carol Burnett close behind. After anywhere between 1-5 seasons of anticipation, Mabel Buchman is finally born. Gordon Hunt directed this entire run of episodes, spanning May-September 1997.
-- "The Feud," the last episode from writer Richard Day, is a fun one for Burnett and Cynthia Harris. Jamie hopes to entice any of the in-laws into buying the crib she wants for Mabel. Sylvia's already bought one ... a big, vaguely circus-themed one. Theresa, claiming "It's ... darling," tries to keep the family from seeing the antique, fourposter and canopied one she bought. Burt figures Paul and Jamie will just have to send one of the two cribs back. Sylvia: "Which one?"
-- Marvin, meanwhile, is still mad at Paul for being a jerk during "On the Road." Paul wants to be liked by Marvin, but doesn't help his cause when he beats the cash-poor man at poker. Back at the Buchmans, Jamie is concerned about what it would mean if their baby never gets to have all its grandparents in the same room at the same time. Paul sees that possibility and life in a democracy as two of the best gifts the baby will ever receive. Jamie, naturally, has a plan. When she was younger, she got two cats to like each other by rubbing tuna on them. Jamie left and returned to find the pair had become best friends. This time around, Jamie's the tuna. She plans to have Theresa and Sylvia over to the apartment to teach her quilting, but will leave early so the grandmothers-to-be can bond in privacy. Before the scheme plays out, the Buchmans also consider a playpen and a futuristic-looking crib bought by Jamie. Paul: "Maybe the baby will show up with friends?" Marvin also shows up, planning to settle his debut to Paul by doing chores.
-- Paul and Marvin end up at Buchman's, where Marvin shares his feelings on money. He thinks he deserves more than he has, an idea he realized thanks to therapy. Paul, no stranger to griping about his finances, points out that Marvin paid a lot to have such a breakthrough. (Paul, seriously, shut the fuck up already!) Theresa and Sylvia, meanwhile, know perfectly well what Jamie's up to. They end up having a thinly-veiled argument about each other's "cribs." Sylvia: "Your crib has a bad dye job!" Theresa accidentally breaks off a piece of Sylvia's crib, followed by Sylvia intentionally doing the same to Theresa's. Eventually, the two have a pillow fight. Some time later, Jamie and Paul come home to find just one crib, selected by their mothers. The two ladies have prepared tuna sandwiches and appear to be getting along famously ... but each privately implies or promises to her child that there'll be a better crib that only she's picked out.
-- Next up is "The Birth," a two-part extravaganza that serves as Larry Charles' swan song. One week before Jamie's due date, Paul is filming his Aunt Ida (Estelle Getty*), who claims to have dated Milton "Skippy" Gershwin, George and Ira's cousin. Back at the apartment, Jamie's having contractions. After arguing with Paul over whether or not they should meet at the hospital, Jamie gets into a cab. It's driven by, of all people, Alan! "... What else are you working on?" Foreshadowing: a movie shoot makes it difficult for Jamie and Alan to directly get to the hospital. As it turns out, Jamie had false labor. The extended Buchman-Stemple family came to Roosevelt Hospital for nothing.
*Talk about your missed opportunities. She's only in the one scene and isn't particularly funny.
-- Buchman, apparently, is not yet finished. Paul is initially made at Ira for submitting it to a film festival for consideration, until it turns out the movie's been accepted. After another false alarm, Paul and Jamie have a session with Sheila. Jamie wants the newborn baby to be surrounded by all the women in its parents' lives. Paul sees the birth as something that should only be his and Jamie's. This debate is interrupted by phone calls from Sheila's bratty teenage daughter. The Buchmans leave their therapist to argue in privacy. Jamie's last bout of false labor, coming three days before the due date, occurs at the film festival. Michael Moore, recognized first by Jamie instead of Paul, thinks Buchman would be perfect to play at Sundance. He's subsequently appalled when Paul's more interested in networking than Jamie's contractions. "Buchman, what is wrong with you?!"
-- The family's getting sick of Jamie's false alarms. All except Ira, who admits he had nothing else to do. Jamie's due date comes and goes. One week later, Paul and Jamie try inducing labor by having sex. Despite a slow start, both the sex and the labor stimulation are successful. Jamie's water breaks! Paul and Jamie say goodbye to Murray, then take one last look at their apartment without a baby in it. At the hospital, Jamie doesn't hit it off with fellow mother-to-be Muriel (Alison Martin), then sends Paul back to the apartment to get her wedding ring, which she's been wearing as part of a necklace. She wants it on when the baby's born.
-- Paul returns to find Nat decorating for the baby's homecoming. He finds Jamie's necklace in her underwear drawer, after giving much of the contents to Nat**. Back at the hospital, Jamie learns that either she or Muriel is going to get "the good room." It's like having the baby at the Waldorf. Once again, the movie shoot's causing trouble. It seems there's been an accident and Paul's cab can't get through. Meanwhile, Jamie has called everybody. Sheila promises that she's "here for you, just for you," until she gets another call from her daughter. Lisa, who was in a kickboxing class, tells Jamie she should have accepted the hospital's drugs (not for herself, as Jamie is having a natural childbirth, but for Lisa). Jamie's room becomes the female bonding session she apparently wanted, with most of the ladies swapping delivery stories. Lisa got stuck when Theresa was giving birth. Two orderlies had to apply pressure on Theresa's body to complete the job. A little later, Jamie reunites with Gus, in a sweet but not especially memorable scene between Hunt and Carroll O'Connor.
**Nat's reaction once he realizes he's been holding Jamie's underwear is a little too cutesy for me. It's like, "Did you guys know Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria are a couple?"
-- Bruce Willis has been injured! He was shooting Die Already when a stunt went awry. Paul arrives at the hospital to find a fan and media circus that keeps him from getting to the maternity ward. He ends up in a secret basement and is not alone. Bruce Willis is on the run! He may or may not have a concussion, but knows enough to not appreciate Paul's attempt at covertly checking out his penis. Naturally, Paul and Bruce engage in a condensed, terrorist-free version of Die Hard. Along the way, Bruce gives Paul advice on parenting (cutting grapes in half reduces the choking hazard for babies) and the delivery (don't let your wife squeeze your dominant hand). He also wants to know if Paul wants to make out a little bit, but that's probably the concussion talking. Bruce gets Paul to his right destination, reveals his children's names (Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle, none of which Paul wants for his own kid) and promises to send some tomatoes as a gift.
-- With 12:30 left, "The Birth, Part II" refocuses back on the birth. It's time to move Jamie to the delivery room. Paul gets to her in time. Now she doesn't care about her wedding ring. Who's going to get the good room? Jamie and Muriel shoot for it, with Jamie losing. The scenes become more like vignettes. Alan shows up with flowers, to Paul and Jamie's annoyance. "Somebody kill him and blame me!" Theresa wants the doctors to give Jamie painkillers, only to find out she's giving birth naturally. "Are you out of your mind?" Jamie doesn't want Paul to talk. He tries miming support. It turns out she doesn't want him to talk when she's having contractions. It's now too late for Jamie to have any drugs. She holds Paul with enough of a grip to make him faint. Lisa visits the delivery room and is immediately grossed out. With one last push, Jamie gives birth. It's a girl, born at dawn. Paul and Jamie realize that they are in the good room after all. Aww ...
-- Season Six kicks off with "Coming Home," written by Victor Levin. "We have a baby now." "Good God almighty." Murray's not impressed. The baby starts crying. It's time for her first at-home changing. Jamie's not yet skilled at putting on and securing a diaper, while Paul doesn't know where to dispose of the old one. He runs into Maggie and Hal (Paxton Whitehead) in the hallway. Maggie's reunited with her first husband, who has the same name as her previous husband. Paul compares the situation to "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am," with Maggie sarcastically agreeing. Hal: "They've had a child?" Maggie: "I'm afraid so."
-- Jamie's not good at swaddling, either. Luckily, Theresa arrived with diapers, a casserole and no shortage of parenting tips, most of which are shared as acronyms. She doesn't want to butt in, but when Paul and Jamie insist ... In a gross moment, Ira doesn't throw out Mabel's old diaper, but just hides it on the bookshelf. Burt, Debbie and Joan arrive. Sylvia's down in the lobby, refusing to come upstairs because she thinks she has a cold and doesn't want to get the baby sick. Murray, meanwhile, has taken to sulking and snarling from behind the couch. Without consulting Jamie, Paul asks Theresa to stay awhile.
-- Later that evening, Paul and Jamie wake up to find Theresa standing at their bed. It's time to feed the baby. Theresa advises Jamie on breastfeeding and burping, but Jamie has ideas of her own. Theresa reveals Paul asked her to say, resulting in Jamie taking the baby for a walk. Sylvia, who has apparently spent hours in the lobby, races outside when Jamie approaches. In another unexpectedly modern visual, grandma and granddaughter's first meeting occurs when they're separated by glass. Sylvia can go home now. Before she leaves, she gives Jamie a genuine thank you. Paul arrives and Jamie asks if he's scared about her being a good mother. Jamie isn't having luck with getting the baby to burp, until she lets out two big ones. A third comes in the elevator, after Hal attempts baby talk. Jamie's going to be just fine. Theresa gives the last of her acronyms. Mothers Always Bring Extra Love. MABEL. Paul and Jamie like the sound of it. Amusingly, their family doesn't.
-- Finally, "Letters to Mabel," written by Maria Semple. It's the weakest of the bunch, largely due to a dated subplot. Jamie's been gathering her feelings about Mabel's early infancy for a letter she'll share when the girl turns 18. She doesn't want to just sign Paul's name, he can make his own letter. Paul, meanwhile, has to take care of a small problem with Buchman. Sylvia needs to re-loop some dialogue during her story about meeting Ingrid Bergman in an elevator. Paul makes the mistake of telling Sylvia she sounds like Julie Andrews, which results in his mother talking increasingly affectedly rather than with her usual squawk.
-- Paul's having trouble writing his letter. He wants to include words like "bouillabaisse" and "paella." He also reads Jamie's letter, getting offended at the implication that he'll be the more permissive parent. If that wasn't enough gentle family angst, nobody's gone to the dry cleaners, so Paul's having to wear increasingly tacky and/or retro shirts. Ira, meanwhile, has gotten into the letter-writing kick. He's prepared missives for Paul, Jamie, Debbie and Joan to read upon his death. The chain reaction continues. Joan's writing a letter ... to Ira. Joan admits to Debbie that if she was straight, she'd be attracted to Ira. Debbie's not jealous, just "flabbergasted at the scope of your taste." Debbie, drafted to dub in "Sylvia's voice," Joan's secret. Ira has a lot of feelings about this.
-- I liked John Pankow's performance in "Letters," and Ira's reactions start off funny. He may consider Joan, "for all intents and purposes," to be Debbie's wife, but he's also not above singing "Me and Mrs. Jones." From there, Ira wonders about the intensity of Joan's feelings. Is it a 9 1/2 Weeks kind of thing, or like Lady and the Tramp? Learning Joan is sorta attracted to him is a big deal for Ira. Not only is this the first time it's happened with somebody from "the other camp," it's also the greatest compliment he's ever gotten from a chick. Joan, meanwhile, is horrified that Debbie blabbed. She wants to resolve the situation. Over at the recording studio, Jamie has successfully imitated Sylvia. Paul: "Sadly, you and I can never have sex again, but ..." Jamie attempts to talk some sense into Ira, mostly by adamantly repeating "No" to his plans to see Joan and delve into her feelings. Soon after, Joan shows up. Ira tries to figure out if they're good, then attempts to kiss her! She ends up throwing him to the ground before storming out. Different times, folks ...
-- Surprise surprise, Paul ends up creating a video letter for Mabel. Jamie watches it (which Paul anticipated). Paul's going to take Mabel to so many wonderful places in New York. He's going to give her nothing but great experiences. But the best thing he can give her, she already has: it's Jamie. Aww ...
-- The Buchmans Go Broadway: Fran was seeing Rent when Jamie had her last bout of false labor ("Birth, Part I"). Theresa sings a variant of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" when changing the diaper ("Home"). One of Paul's drafts is just the lyrics to "Sunrise, Sunset" ("Letters").
-- Classic Movie Watch: Sylvia claims Theresa's crib is only "inviting" to Rosemary's Baby ("Feud"). The hallway outside the recording studio has posters for Awakenings and the then-recent Anaconda ("Letters").
-- Hey, It's 1997!: Paul's not impressed with the changes made for the Star Wars special editions ("Feud"). Ira won $1,000, which he gifts to Mabel, by betting on women's basketball ("Home"). Not exactly era-specific, but I had a knowing smirk at Theresa's attempts to be supportive and understanding of Debbie and Joan. "Look who's here! It's the gals! ... I think it's just wonderful that you're sticking with this."
-- Continuity Corner: Paul and Jamie's parents have only all been together three times since the couple's wedding. Unless I'm missing one, the other two times are "The Last Scampi" and "Giblets for Murray." Also, I take it that Gus and Theresa being separated doesn't count? For that matter, didn't Jamie already have a baby shower ("Feud")? Alan's now a screenwriter ("Birth, Part I"). Fran had a Caesarean ("Birth, Part II").
-- Awards Watch: Once again, Reiser (for "The Birth") and MAY lost to John Lithgow (for "See Dick Continue to Run") and Frasier. I can't remember if Hunt's win over Ellen DeGeneres (for "The Puppy Episode") was considered an upset.
-- Supporting Scores: Ira, Burt and Sylvia are in all five episodes, followed by Theresa, Debbie and Joan in four, Lisa, Fran and Sheila in two and Marvin, Nat and Hal & Maggie in one each.
-- Before the Credits: Paul doesn't actually want to help prepare for the dinner party ("Feud"), is looking at the wrong baby in the hospital nursery ("Home") and is trapped when Jamie's concerned about her looks ("Letters").
-- During the Credits: For season five, Anne Ramsay is no longer credited. Louis Zorich, Cynthia Harris and Robin Bartlett follow John Pankow and Leila Kenzle.
-- Under the Credits: Jamie wins the strip poker game against Ira, Marvin and their friends ("Feud"). The family sings "Happy Birthday to You" to "what's-her-name" ("The Birth, Part II"). Paul and Jamie find the diaper Ira left and Paul still has to dispose of it ("Home"). Mabel in 2015 would rather have had a flying car than letters and a video from her parents ("Letters").
-- Scheduling Corner: For the start of the 1997-98 season, MAY aired opposite reruns on ABC, FOX's movie, Clueless on UPN and JAG on CBS. MAY, Frasier and Dateline continued to anchor Must See TV Tuesday, with NewsRadio and Just Shoot Me! in the sandwich slots. The short-lived Dellaventura, which Ramsay costarred on, concluded CBS' night. Airing opposite Frasier was Michael Hayes, David Caruso's single-season comeback series. For the time being, MAY is sitting semi-pretty.
-- Ratings Roundup: Scoring a 17.6, "The Birth" beat the series finale of Roseanne and led the ratings for Tuesday, May 20, 1997. "Coming Home" also did well, scoring a 17.1 and leading for Tuesday, Sept. 23. "Letters to Mabel" saw a fall to 11.5 and seventh place, about what MAY was doing the season before.
No comments:
Post a Comment