I found this two-parter quite funny and not at all disappointing. It was near the end of the series, and it seemed like a cool thing for Rob to be elected to the town council--a job that required, as I recall, just a few hours per week for him, like it really is for so many member of local government councils, be they city or town or township.
So I didn't think we needed to branch out into his activities as a councilman. In terms of whether he deserved election, I think the script handled things well--Rob may not know all the statistics like Lincoln Goodhart (his opponent) did, but he knew people and could rely on others to provide the facts to help him make decisions.
If you found it troubling that he might well have gotten elected because many voters liked the fact that he was more handsome and taller than his opponent...that let him fit in with the president at the time, and with many other candidates over the years who benefited from those aspects as well.
As to your final question about a third script on this story line, I would say I doubt it. Sitcoms in the mid-60s rarely even had two-part scripts and almost never one that ran longer. Even the few Dick Van Dykes that were two-parters, were generally quite distinct in the two episodes so viewers who missed part one wouldn't feel so left out while watching part two a week later.
I cite the Don Rickles episodes, the first one where, as a flashback, almost the whole plot deals with him trying to rob Rob and Laura in an elevator, while the second part has the regulars going to the prison to do a show for the Rickles character and his prison buddies.
Then there was the time when Rob spent most of the show trying to figure out why Laura didn't want a life insurance policy. Part two was all about the pair quickly getting married again because they weren't legally married due to Laura's Little Lie on the marriage license years ago.
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monsieurzy
9 years ago
What gets me is the storyline was developing like something was going to come of this (Rob's doubts, his realizing Goodheart is the better candidate, Rob not really knowing enough about the community or having the time to deal with all the crackpots phoning him day and night) and then it's all dropped with Rob winning the election and his ego getting the best of him...and then?..nothing...just left the story (and us) hanging there.
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murph24
9 years ago
Well, I don't think Rob's ego is ever a factor here; he has no problem recognizing that Lincoln Goodheart (Wally Cox) is a very knowledgable and well-informed candidate; that's why Rob considers pulling out of the race. But the scene where he expresses his self-doubts to Laura and his campaign manager makes it clear he's selling himself short. Laura reminds him that when he began work as a committee leader for the Writers Guild he knew very little about what needed to be done, but ended up doing an excellent job. And his campaign manager points out that a leader isn't someone who just knows facts and figures, but someone who gets the job done right. Also, his scenes with Lincoln indicate that once he becomes acquainted with all sides of an issue, he's more than capable of making the right decision. And I don't think there's anything wrong with his jubilation once his victory has been confirmed; under the circumstances, it's understandable and completely within character.
However, you're certainly right about the way the show drops the subject of Rob becoming a councilman; it doesn't factor into any of the episodes that follow. And if Rob had actually become a councilman for the 9th District (as stated), it would occupy at least SOME of his time. But apart from that, I think both episodes are fairly good; I only feel it would have made more sense to run them toward the end of the season, right before the show concluded its run.
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steely3000
9 years ago
I agree with you on these episodes. If I lived in that district I would have voted for Goodheart, because he seemed more qualified for the job. That's not to say Rob couldn't have learned about the issues and could have developed into an excellent councilman. But as you say, we never know, because the whole situation is dropped after Rob wins. So it was like the two episodes were a total waste of film.
A similar show was the Andy Griffith show where Sam Jones beats Emmett Clark for city council. But that episode at least had a payoff, with Emmett congratulating Sam, and Sam being asked for favors by his friends, making him consider resigning a minute after he's elected. I guess the DVD episode would have been nice if Goodheart had come by Rob's place to congratulate him or something.
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sonomagirl2120
8 years ago
My theory was that these eps were satirizing the presidential election when handsome, charismatic John F. Kennedy beat the much more knowledgeable, but awkward Richard M. Nixon.
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