A lot of younger fans might not realize it, but this episode was very controversial when it aired, as were many MWC episodes. At a time when it was taboo to talk about sex, especially homosexuality, on television. And though she had already come out, remember that for many fans, at a time when the internet barely existed and 90% of Americans couldn't afford a PC anyway, this was the first confirmation of Bearse's sexuality, as she basically played a stereotyped version of herself as the gay "cousin." It was a very brave thing for her to do, and helped people realize that it is OK and normal to be gay. Just my two cents!
4 Reviews
A Man and a Woman
mideleon31 March 2013
15 years after it first aired, I finally watched this episode. I've never been a fan of the "Jeffersonian" era shows. In my book, Rhoades rules. But I have to admit, "Lez Be Friends" is actually a fun episode. It's not hilarious, and the B-story about the dog is lame, but watching Al befriend Mandy is sort of cute and Al is actually rather nice in this episode. And like Al, I started to get a crush on Mandy, something I've never had for Marcy.
Now that I think of it, here's a bit of trivia: Q: Who are the two gay people that Al has had crushes on? A: Mandy (Marcy's cousin), and Pete (played by Dan Castellanetta) in "The Dance Show" episode. Pete asks Al to help him get his husband back from Peggy's clutches. But when Al finds out that Pete cooks, works, and likes sports (except soccer), Al wants to keep him for himself.
Now that I think of it, here's a bit of trivia: Q: Who are the two gay people that Al has had crushes on? A: Mandy (Marcy's cousin), and Pete (played by Dan Castellanetta) in "The Dance Show" episode. Pete asks Al to help him get his husband back from Peggy's clutches. But when Al finds out that Pete cooks, works, and likes sports (except soccer), Al wants to keep him for himself.
Not my favorite!
Sylviastel10 December 2009
Amanda Bearse plays both Marcy and her identical cousin who is a lesbian visiting the D'Arcys. She's worried of course that the Bundys will scare her away. Ironically, her cousin befriends Al. Meanwhile Marcy is worried that her cousin will steal Jefferson away or steal the attention away from her. It's not a great episode. While Bearse is a great actress and director, this episode was kind of weak to regular Married with Children episodes. Now, this episode is considered outdated but then it was considered controversial for it's time. Anyway, I never cared for this episode or for the identical cousin storyline.
Absolutely no spinning allowed!
BA_Harrison17 January 2023
Having come out as gay in 1993, Amanda Bearse finally got to play a character truer to her real self in this episode, as Marcy's identical cousin Mandy, who, having bonded with Al and Jefferson, reveals that she is a lesbian. Baseball-loving, fooseball-playing, beer swilling Mandy is far more popular than Marcy, who is jealous of the attention her cousin gets. Al proves remarkably diplomatic, convincing Marcy to talk things through with Mandy.
This is a very funny episode with a great sentiment. The script is top notch proving that the writers could still pull it out of the bag if they tried hard enough. There's plenty of laugh out loud gags: "Of course not... Lola's a guy.", "Before you know it you were a sex slave in an all-girl love cult.", "I'm Bud. I'll be your waiter this evening.", "We want to do whatever it takes to get our furry little friends together."
If the standard had been this high throughout the eleventh season, I reckon there would have easily been a twelfth.
N. B. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet, but I consider myself something of an accomplished fooseball player; I'd never allow my opponent to spin the players freely the way that Mandy does.
This is a very funny episode with a great sentiment. The script is top notch proving that the writers could still pull it out of the bag if they tried hard enough. There's plenty of laugh out loud gags: "Of course not... Lola's a guy.", "Before you know it you were a sex slave in an all-girl love cult.", "I'm Bud. I'll be your waiter this evening.", "We want to do whatever it takes to get our furry little friends together."
If the standard had been this high throughout the eleventh season, I reckon there would have easily been a twelfth.
N. B. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet, but I consider myself something of an accomplished fooseball player; I'd never allow my opponent to spin the players freely the way that Mandy does.
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