MovieChat Forums > The King of Queens (1998) Discussion > In the episode "Hungry Man"

In the episode "Hungry Man"

posted 8 years ago by no54
14 replies | jump to latest

Doug should have just drank some water from the sink. Granted it's not food, but at least he would have something in his system to hold him over.

[–] Gosser78 8 years ago

I like the episode because of how ridiculous it is. He could have easily stepped out for five minutes to eat something.

[–] PaulWard27 8 years ago

Or at any other point in the day really. It's not like the Doug we came to know would starve himself like that. This is the same glutton that admitted to having a pre dinner Whopper regularly.

[–] DanaShelbyChancey 8 years ago

It's not like the Doug we came to know would starve himself like that.

My dad was such a warrior about meals, everything we did had to be planned around when he was going to eat.

Doug's appetite was such, he could have had a huge lunch with Deacon, and still been ravenous for Carrie's event.

Gee Woodle, Space Kadoodle!

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

Generally speaking, an un-funny episode.

This was very early in the series.

The writers and actors were still feeling things out.

Which -- in the early life of a sit-com -- can be "hit or miss".

In my opinion, this episode was a definite "miss".

[–] jezfernandez 8 years ago

I dislike it. I don't recall a single moment that made me laugh - were there any amusing side plots (e.g. Arthur, Spence)? I never watch this episode.

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

I rarely watch the episode, so I don't recall what the side stories were.

In the main story proper, there were a few minor chuckles.

I remember something about Doug getting changed in the elevator and, when the door opened, he was in his underwear.

I remember Doug ate the whole box of Tic-Tacs candies/mints from some woman guest seated near him.

But, overall, an un-funny episode, in my opinion.

[–] PaulWard27 8 years ago

Arthur and Spence have a side plot in the basement. They are playing chess and Spence starts talking about people on the subway struggling with umbrellas. He and Arthur, in the space of about an hour, invent a backpack that fits an umbrella, makes millions and then lose it all again because they are threatened by cheap knock offs.

This side story is actually quite funny, but the main story is so poor, it's an episode I don't really care to watch.

My main reason for not liking the episode is that it isn't true to the way Doug behaves for the rest of the series. Nothing usually stands in the way of Doug and food. This would never have happened in Season 4, for example.

[–] jezfernandez 8 years ago

Ah, yes - the backpack patent! That is a good subplot.

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

My main reason for not liking the episode is that it isn't true to the way Doug behaves for the rest of the series. Nothing usually stands in the way of Doug and food. This would never have happened in Season 4, for example.

I don't follow. Isn't this a contradiction?

That's exactly what Doug did in this episode: he would not let anything stand between himself and food. That is, he would go to any great lengths to feed himself when he is, umm, "hungry". It's just that, in this case, there was no food to be had in that confined area (the apartment). But, he wasn't going to let that fact stop him. And he searched high and low for some food.

[–] PaulWard27 8 years ago

What I meant was that he would have found food earlier in the day.

The Doug we eventually get to know better throughout the seasons was guilty of leaving his wife stranded in the rain so he could eat fudge. He admitted to regularly getting a Whopper on the way home from work even though Carrie would cook him dinner most nights. This is also a guy who wouldn't think twice about ordering food even though he has only just eaten, seen several times.

I know the story played out as it did for the sake of the story. I just don't think the Doug of the later seasons would have sacrificed chances to eat earlier in the day, as he did here.

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

But, again, he was expecting this to be a dinner party.

So, he saved his appetite, expecting to be fed some great dinner at this fancy dinner party.

If he had known that no dinner was to be served, he certainly would have found a way to get some food before attending the party. He could easily have taken all of five minutes to drive through a fast-food restaurant.

But, he didn't think that he needed to. He was expecting food at the party.

Once at the party, the situation fed off of itself. He was probably a little hungry. Then, knowing that there was no food, that fact made him become even more hungry (psychologically, not physically).

He was allowing his mind to "psych himself out". We all want what we can't have. The fact that there was no food made him want food all the much more. So, he morphed into a ravenous fool.

[–] peeaecee 8 years ago

I loathe that episode. The setup doesn't bother me, but it's ridiculous for him to go so crazy because he can't wait an hour or two to eat, especially that early in the series.

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

I always thought that most people saw this as a weak episode.

However, I was surprised to see that this episode ranks relatively high (#75 out of the 206 total episodes).

See here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165581/eprate?ref_=tt_eps_rhs_sm.

[–] Megan254 (380) 2 months ago

I'm actually in the crowd that loves this episode, but hey, to each their own.