Mary and Phyllis and Lou are in Mary's apartment (Mary & Lou are trying to work out details for a documentary) and she throws out the fact that she is going to the ballet with a guy who is not Lars. She explains how Lars has no interest in cultural things and Mike (the guy, played by the handsome John Saxon) likes to do things like that. Of course, the whole open marriage thing makes Mary uncomfortable. The next day, Mike shows up at the station and asks Mary out. Of course, Ted has to show off his homophobia and make judgments about Mike. There are four or five hilarious bits in this episode. Anyway, Mike seems taken with Mary and that leads to some trouble. One really funny scene is when Phyllis as a really bad cold and she reverts to a five year old. There's some really good writing here.
3 Reviews
I wuv you
Rrrobert20 November 2019
Phyllis is back. Self centred - and funny - as ever.
Phyllis has been 'platonic dating' the attractive Mike (John Saxon) since Lars has no interest in the arts. When Mike takes an interest in Mary she feels awkward about dating Phyllis's friend, and Phyllis gets jealous.
Many funny moments in this well done episode. International star of cult cinema John Saxon is great in it, plus he is a favourite actor of mine.
Lou and Murray urge Mary to discuss her problem with them when she can't get Rhoda on the phone. When Murray cracks a joke an exasperated Mary says that is why women don't discuss personal issues with men. Yet Murray's joke is exactly the sort of thing Rhoda would have said.
Features a scene in the Lindstrom apartment though not for the first time. Seasons 2's The Care and Feeding of Parents also features scenes at the Lindstrom's.
Phyllis has been 'platonic dating' the attractive Mike (John Saxon) since Lars has no interest in the arts. When Mike takes an interest in Mary she feels awkward about dating Phyllis's friend, and Phyllis gets jealous.
Many funny moments in this well done episode. International star of cult cinema John Saxon is great in it, plus he is a favourite actor of mine.
Lou and Murray urge Mary to discuss her problem with them when she can't get Rhoda on the phone. When Murray cracks a joke an exasperated Mary says that is why women don't discuss personal issues with men. Yet Murray's joke is exactly the sort of thing Rhoda would have said.
Features a scene in the Lindstrom apartment though not for the first time. Seasons 2's The Care and Feeding of Parents also features scenes at the Lindstrom's.
Weird marital dynamics on display front and center ! (Morality takes a vacation)
ronnybee21126 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What a truly bizarre character Phyllis is on the MTM show. She has long-since established herself as being vain,selfish,and completely indifferent to the opinions,wants,and needs of others. This glaring fact shows itself in many ways throughout the entire series.
Perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects to the Phyllis character is the dynamics of her marriage. Her husband,'Lars',is mentioned occasionally but he is almost never seen on the show,at-all. This might only be a minor concern if there were no children involved,but Phyllis and Lars have a young impressionable daughter 'Bess', that they are supposed to be raising. Exactly where Lars is throughout the many years of the show is never clear at-all. It seems odd to put it very mildly.
As if this isn't bad enough,suddenly Phyllis starts going out socially with another man 'Mike' while married to Lars and while they are raising their young daughter ! It is stressed,perhaps a bit too-strongly,that the relationship that Phyllis and this other man have is 'completely platonic'. This alleged-point is pushed way-past the point of raising suspicion.
What in the hell kind of marriage is this? What kind of woman disrespects her husband and her marriage by going-out socially with another man? If this guy 'Mike' was a long-time mutual friend of hers and Lars's,from before they got married,that would be a different story perhaps. But that isn't the case at-all. This guy 'Mike' is new and out of the blue.
Even if nothing really is going-on between Phyllis and this new man 'Mike',and it is indeed only a friendship,how does Phyllis think this looks to everyone-else? What is her husband Lars thinking about all of this,and how does this odd arrangement make him look? What is all-of this teaching the daughter 'Bess' about marriage and her parents?
As strange and troubling as all of this is,it gets even weirder when Mary suddenly starts worrying about Phyllis and her feelings when this new guy 'Mike' asks Mary out socially also.
Mary isn't the least-bit worried about the feelings of Lars,or the feelings of Phyllis's and Lars's daughter Bess,or how any-of this just-has to look to any normal person. Mary is instead worried about how Phyllis might feel about her dating the married Phyllis's new boyfriend ! ? Bizarro extraordinaire here folks !
Everyone looks pretty creepy here,regardless of whatever the facts actually are.
Shame on all-of them,truth be told. 3/10.
Perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects to the Phyllis character is the dynamics of her marriage. Her husband,'Lars',is mentioned occasionally but he is almost never seen on the show,at-all. This might only be a minor concern if there were no children involved,but Phyllis and Lars have a young impressionable daughter 'Bess', that they are supposed to be raising. Exactly where Lars is throughout the many years of the show is never clear at-all. It seems odd to put it very mildly.
As if this isn't bad enough,suddenly Phyllis starts going out socially with another man 'Mike' while married to Lars and while they are raising their young daughter ! It is stressed,perhaps a bit too-strongly,that the relationship that Phyllis and this other man have is 'completely platonic'. This alleged-point is pushed way-past the point of raising suspicion.
What in the hell kind of marriage is this? What kind of woman disrespects her husband and her marriage by going-out socially with another man? If this guy 'Mike' was a long-time mutual friend of hers and Lars's,from before they got married,that would be a different story perhaps. But that isn't the case at-all. This guy 'Mike' is new and out of the blue.
Even if nothing really is going-on between Phyllis and this new man 'Mike',and it is indeed only a friendship,how does Phyllis think this looks to everyone-else? What is her husband Lars thinking about all of this,and how does this odd arrangement make him look? What is all-of this teaching the daughter 'Bess' about marriage and her parents?
As strange and troubling as all of this is,it gets even weirder when Mary suddenly starts worrying about Phyllis and her feelings when this new guy 'Mike' asks Mary out socially also.
Mary isn't the least-bit worried about the feelings of Lars,or the feelings of Phyllis's and Lars's daughter Bess,or how any-of this just-has to look to any normal person. Mary is instead worried about how Phyllis might feel about her dating the married Phyllis's new boyfriend ! ? Bizarro extraordinaire here folks !
Everyone looks pretty creepy here,regardless of whatever the facts actually are.
Shame on all-of them,truth be told. 3/10.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
