Mary is at home, updating obituaries that are to be read when a prominent citizen dies. Rhoda decides to help her. They get to this hundred and ten year old man, the oldest in Minneapolis, and put in a bunch of crazy stuff about him. It's hilarious, but, of course, the guy dies the next day. Ted reads the goofy obituary and Mary is in big trouble. Lou has no choice. He suspends her for two weeks. But Murray tells Mary that she should not be treated like a school child. She storms back in and gets herself fired. She manages to keep her chin up for a while. One day she comes to have lunch with Murray and what ensues is absolutely hilarious. It plays out in Lou's office and it's delightful.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series)
Better Late... That's a Pun... Than Never (1974)
User Reviews
Review this title4 Reviews
Well done
Rrrobert30 October 2019
Mary's joke obituary is accidentally read out on air. Lou is furious and disappointed. He suspends Mary for two weeks but she defiantly says if she really is suspended, then she won't be back.
Pretty dramatic episode. It is all very well done, relatable and engaging, even if the idea of Mary leaving the newsroom is a pretty sad prospect.
Almost tragi-comic.
Pretty dramatic episode. It is all very well done, relatable and engaging, even if the idea of Mary leaving the newsroom is a pretty sad prospect.
Almost tragi-comic.
She should've accepted the suspension
LaverneandShirleysucks7 March 2022
I like the episode overall, but what Mary did was deserving of a suspension. She defiantly rejects the 2 week suspension her boss gives her, telling Mr. Grant she won't be treated like kid in trouble at school and demands either no suspension or she won't come back.
Mr. Grant rightfully won't budge and she leaves all hurt. Why she can't just accept what she did was deserving of a suspension is baffling because Mary is usually mature, smart and professional.
But here she's childish and immature and actually resorts to throwing a crying tantrum begging for her job back just like the school kid she earlier insisted to Mr. Grant she wasn't!
The sad message here, ironically written at the height of Women's Lib, is that getting emotional and crying will keep a woman from accepting punishment and getting fired in the workplace.
This would've been so much better had Mary just accepted the suspension like a mature professional adult. And sadly, she's anything but that in this episode.
Mr. Grant is no better falling for Mary's emotional weepy outburst and accepting her back without any punishment....simply because she cried.
Mr. Grant rightfully won't budge and she leaves all hurt. Why she can't just accept what she did was deserving of a suspension is baffling because Mary is usually mature, smart and professional.
But here she's childish and immature and actually resorts to throwing a crying tantrum begging for her job back just like the school kid she earlier insisted to Mr. Grant she wasn't!
The sad message here, ironically written at the height of Women's Lib, is that getting emotional and crying will keep a woman from accepting punishment and getting fired in the workplace.
This would've been so much better had Mary just accepted the suspension like a mature professional adult. And sadly, she's anything but that in this episode.
Mr. Grant is no better falling for Mary's emotional weepy outburst and accepting her back without any punishment....simply because she cried.
Could have been better
kellielulu8 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
What could have been a classic episode turn into a disappointment.
Mary gets a little giddy writing obits with Rhoda and one of the goofy ones ends up on air. Lou could fire Mary but he instead suspends her for two weeks without pay . Mary is actually relieved and all would have been fine until Murray butts in where he wasn't needed. Mary of course listened to Murray she is often easily led which I actually get but it was one time I think she should have gone for the road of least resistance. All the times Murray didn't agree with Mary about bringing in a woman sportscaster or some other decision she makes and now he acts like he's on her side? Mary could have just taken it Murray was a good writer but some of his other decision making wasn't so good.
I think they had an opportunity to do something more interesting with Mary's time off too.
Mary gets a little giddy writing obits with Rhoda and one of the goofy ones ends up on air. Lou could fire Mary but he instead suspends her for two weeks without pay . Mary is actually relieved and all would have been fine until Murray butts in where he wasn't needed. Mary of course listened to Murray she is often easily led which I actually get but it was one time I think she should have gone for the road of least resistance. All the times Murray didn't agree with Mary about bringing in a woman sportscaster or some other decision she makes and now he acts like he's on her side? Mary could have just taken it Murray was a good writer but some of his other decision making wasn't so good.
I think they had an opportunity to do something more interesting with Mary's time off too.
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