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Silly episode-Nobody But a Frog Knows How to Live

posted 8 years ago by [email protected] (6248)
6 replies | jump to latest

Season three had many great episodes, but NOT this one! Too silly. John Fiedler was a great character actor from that era, but as Fergus the frog, what???

Okay, he had a spell put on him which turned him into a human and he wanted to go back to being a frog. But the whole "blackmail" scheme was ridiculous. He was going to tell all of Sam's neighbors that he was a frog and she was a witch who wouldn't turn him back? What?

Why in the world would Sam fall for that ridiculous threat? Would any of her neighbors (aside from Gladys Kravitz) take him seriously? And how exactly could he prove it? He'd be committed to a mental ward first.

Sam kept zapping him back to the park where she first encountered him. If I wanted to be rid of him, I would have zapped him to a park in Rome or Paris! No way could he get back to pose a threat to me. I don't understand why Samantha felt so threatened by a frog! There were times when Sam had to deal with real problems but blackmail from a frog was not one of them!!

[–] [email protected] (1732) 8 years ago

To each his own, but I consider this one of the wittiest offerings of the series. Ruth Brooks Flippins' script is
unusual and beautifully paced. I also think the casting was terrific. Dan Tobin is a RIOT as Mr. Saunders. True,
the "drunken client" bit was overused on the series, but Tobin - and his dialogue - tickle me.

"Why would anyone want to insist he was a frog? -unless he was drinking...speaking of DRINKING..."

John Fiedler IS totally perfect - who better to play a FROG in human form? And the interaction between Gladys,
Abner, Larry, Louise, and Saunders is, to me, totally inspired. Too many laughs to mention. And a bouncy energy,
as well.

To me, this ep is VERY third year. And, to me, that's a compliment.

As for the holes in the plot? There are ALWAYS holes in the plot. Why would Sam EVER have a problem if we looked
at the series in total logic?? There wouldn't be a show.

Again, to each his own.

FERGUS: "THINK about it. Have you ever seen a FROG on an analyst couch?"
SAUNDERS: "Sober? No."

[–] [email protected] (6248) 8 years ago

Well to each his own if that's the way you feel about it...haha! But seriously, good points and I don't disagree with most of them. It was an amusing episode. John Fiedler was a perfect frog. I enjoyed everything he did. He was my favorite 'poker buddy' in The Odd Couple movie.

Dan Tobin was funny as the client who kept insisting on a drink. I thought he was even funnier in an earlier episode, 'I Remember You Sometimes', as the insufferabe know-it-all client whom Darrin annoyed with his own super memory (thanks to Endora).

I should have narrowed my criticism of the episode. It WAS funny but silly. What I mean is that there was an internal logic to most episodes. Even though it's a fantasy world, if the scripts play by certain rules then I have no quarrel. Sam had powers but she couldn't do she everything that wanted. There were limits to her powers

In the first season she was nervous when Maurice was coming to visit. She was scared abut how Daddy would react to her mortal marriage. He demonstrated the power to banish Darrin and Sam could not stop him. At least she couldn't stop him with her powers but she made a heartfelt plea as a daughter.

In season three when Endora and Sam's aunts test Tabitha's powers, they decide to whisk her away to Hagatha's Magic School. Sam was unable to stop them, but luckily Maurice came to the rescue. Apparently HIS powers were stronger than all three witches combined.

Then there's the problem of things conjured up from witchcraft. Samantha could not zap the pink elephant that Aunt Clara conjured up onto the patio. She said that if she could do that she'd zap him "all the way back to Africa."

So I appreciate there were limits to Sam's powers. There were many other examples later on. When Tabitha conjured up characters from Sleeping Beauty, Sam couldn't send Prince Charming back into the book unless he wanted to go.

My argument here is that it was demonstrated in the opening teaser that Fergus had no power over Samantha. He just made a pest of himself. She sent him into the fountain, she sent him back to the park. So the whole "amphibian blackmail" thing was an empty threat. My question is, why did Sam feel threatened by someone who clearly had NO power over her? So zap him back to a park, Central Park(!), at least for the time being and then try to help him later.

If it had been established at the outset that Sam had no power over Fergus and could not send him anywhere, her dilemma would have made sense. But as it was, they were just hollow threats. It's a fantasy show, true, but at least it should play by its own rules.

Anyway, always enjoy the dscussion and your insights. The board here has been slow and you hadn't posted in a while. I was afraid that you ran away. lol

[–] [email protected] (1732) 8 years ago

Why should you have to narrow your thoughts? You know the series, and your opinion is no less valid than mine.

In any case, the episode IS silly, but, for me, it's so energetic, frothy, and even sophisticated in its drawing room
comedy (I love those client dinner parties)....plus, it's a play on the classic frog/prince thing...as Sam says, "Only
in reverse."

Still, when I think about it, I guess I could see where people would find it silly. My family and friends thought the
whole SHOW was silly! I never made Bewitched friends until I came on imdb, and realized there were other weirdos
like me!

Yes, Dan Tobin is terrific, too, in "I Remember You Sometimes." Speaking of this ep, I realize that BW never
revealed the titles of its episodes like many series of the era, but I always thought "I Remember You Sometimes"
was a lousy title! I always thought "Thanks for the Memories", or "No Thanks for the Memories" would've been
better. But on BW, script titles were for filing only, and were rarely catchy or amusing (except for "Toys in
Babeland").

[–] [email protected] (6248) 8 years ago

Your friends and family thought the whole show was SILLY? What's wrong with them? LOL I was lucky to have younger sisters who loved the show as much as I did!!

While the show was still on the air a few of our local stations aired episodes in the morning. During summer vacation my sisters and I would watch an hour of Bewitched before we went out to play.We NEVER got enough. But unfortunately (for me) they got over their Bewitched obsession years ago. Me, not so much! I was so glad to find fellow fanatics on IMDB.

Speaking of Fergus though, I thought it was unfortunate that Samantha just put him and Phoebe outside her front door. She should have zapped them back to the park for their own safety. But this way they had to hop across a couple of streets to get to the park! Hope they didn't become roadkill.

Yeah, those titles! "Thanks for the Memories" could've been better. Maybe something sarcastic like, "Thanks a LOT Endora, for the Unwanted Memories!" Some were okay, a few were clever, but a bunch of them made no sense to me.

They even reworked some titles. In the first season when Louise Tate was expecting a baby, it was "And Something Makes Three". In season six when Adam was born, it was "And Something Makes Four." Don't know why they had to refer to a baby as SomeTHING.

They surely could have come up with a better title for the first episode. "Louise's Big Surprise for Larry" ? I don't know. The titles could be a whole new thread.

[–] Mikwalen (12) 8 years ago

PJ and GB, as always I love your exchanges about our beloved show!

[–] [email protected] (6248) 8 years ago

Thanks! I love talking about the show, especially wth people who love it too, even if we don't agree on favorites!