A comedy show that ends with the reveal that the reason the handsome new bachelor in the neighbourhood is single is because he's abusive and hits women?? You can practically hear the audience freeze when he says this. What are earth were the writers thinking?
shareI always thought that was a strange ending. After the reveal, and the lawyer goes to shake Rob's hand, Rob recoils. It gets a laugh. Rob locks the door after he leaves. All for laughs. This show's writing was always top notch, intelligent--I wish they could've come up with a better ending. Spousal abuse wasn't discussed a lot back then, even though it has always existed. At the time, I remember this episode didn't raise any eyebrows.
shareThis is a good episode with a lot of clever comedy until the big revelation at the end. I thought Laura's cousin Donna was an interesting character. I wish they would've had her in another episode or two.
But the guy's problem with hitting women, not funny! The writers could've come up with some other reason for him not calling either woman. They were a creative bunch and I'm sure they could've found some funny reason for his behavior.
I always try to enjoy shows and movies from the perspective of when they were produced, because it can be unfair sometimes to judge them by today's societal norms. That being said, even in 1964 a joke like this would be questionable at best.
shareAnyone else remember around the same time there was a rather questionable That Girl episode, where Ann was on the jury in a wife beating case (the man had smashed his wife in the mouth with an ashtray, knocking out some teeth)..again they went for laughs, portraying the husband as a milquetoast married to a nag (and getting laughs out of her nagging him in court with missing teeth)..the payoff was after Ann convinced the rest of the jury to find him innocent, the guy hits his wife (AGAIN) in the mouth with the same ashtray.
sharei just watched this episode and at first it seemed like it was one of the best. Love the comedy between Laura and Rob
but then the reveal happened and I was like WTF. was it supposed to be a joke? a serious ending?
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I just watched a different ep when Rob is questioned by police re an assault on a woman in a bar. She was beat up and thrown threw a plate glass window. While talking w the bartender, Rob wonders why anyone would do such a thing and the bartender says *Are you kidding? Everyone was lining up to take a punch on her.* (or something like that), Different times.
shareI always found this to be a good ending. Granted, not funny, but I believe they were trying to do a little bit of social commentary because no one spoke of such things in public
shareYou're right about that. The episode isn't making a joke out of the neighbor's propensities, which he recognizes & is actively trying to change. Rob's recoiling & locking the door, is clearly how the viewer, who at that time had seen plenty of "funny abusive husband" stories, is supposed to feel as well. It's indeed social commentary about something that was seldom discussed seriously in entertainment at that time.
shareIt's creepy for a number of reasons:
1. This charming man whom Laura set up with her cousin and Rob set up with Sally, could have inflicted his violence on them.
2. At the beginning of the episode, we find Laura and the man alone together. What was this man capable of if Rob had not come home?
3. The fact that he is an abuser is just accepted by the other characters. Like "Oh well, that's just how it is." No retribution is administered to this man.
4. The episode ends with the man still residing on Bonnie Meadow Road. And even though he never appeared in another episode, we are left with the thought that this psycho is still in their midst.
It's not about 'spousal abuse' - it's about what kind of men women select.
Think about that.
The fact that he is an abuser is just accepted by the other characters. Like "Oh well, that's just how it is." No retribution is administered to this man.
I agree. Awkward. Not funny.
shareSometimes I think the show made a serious attempt to touch on comedy's forbidden issues of the day, but obviously it had to be light comedy and it had to end with a 'return to normalcy.' This was done especially well with "A Show of Hands," which dealt with sensitivities involved with racial equality-- the biggest national issue of the early 60's, or perhaps tied with the Cold War for that title. Others-- children learning profanity, the paranormal, privacy/secrecy, et al, were also handled well. But a handsome man who charms, then abuses, women, did seem to go too far to stay within comedy's bounds. And the fact that it's a one-time character, and not a returning one who talks about killing or 'taking apart' his or her no-good spouse-- which we know is poetic license and not to be taken literally-- this has to be accepted as real. They actually have a man living close on their street who can't have a relationship with a woman without being violent with her, and they had set up 2 women they care about to meet him. He also reveals, on the advice of psychiatrist, that he won't ask a woman for a second date until he "knows" he has overcome this propensity. While this revelation does relieve Rob's and Laura's immediate apprehension, it only slightly lessens it for the audience, because he has shown he does not yet know he has overcome his problem. So we know he's there in the neighborhood; and perhaps wonder if Rob and Laura would do anything if they see him involved with a woman, even if they don't know her. Possibly by explaining his current mindset to them, he's then accountable to them, at least somewhat.
But no, it does seem that ep can't be ended with the return to normalcy if they have such a man so near. Maybe it could have been lightened enough if, instead of being a physical abuser of the women he 'loves,' he could just have been maladjusted, and becomes a jealous perfectionist-- but not a beater. He still might have been advised to not go out with the same woman more than once for quite a while, as she always ends it with him unhappily.