Today's episode opens on a sad note, as a cherished member of the Anderson family has bitten the dust: the refrigerator. Lumpy milk and melted ice cream bars leaked all over the floor. Andy is quick to blame Louie for the tragedy, and when Ora suggests they buy a new one, Andy the cheapskate is quick to shoot that idea down, sure that he can fix the problem himself. This is gonna be good. So what about dinner? Ora has a coupon for a Chinese restaurant, but it would be just the four of them, because the other 7 kids in the house run out to fend for themselves. So it's off to Dum Luck's where Andy mispronounces the dishes and tries to haggle over the price of cashew chicken, and Louie puts chop sticks up his nose. A typical Anderson outing. The evening went fine, but when Louie woke up the next morning, something was very different about him. His cheeks had puffed out like a chipmunk on steroids. Naturally, he became a big figure of ridicule at school, as all the kids laughed and made fun of him, but the upshot was that his head was too swollen for Glen Glenn to put him in a headlock. Luckily, his head shrank back to abnormal size by the end of the day, but whatever this strange malady was, Louie refused to get any sort of medical attention. Well, on the fridge front, Andy's home repairs left much to be desired, and he still balked at the idea of buying a new fridge, even when Ora tells him about all the bells and whistles that come with modern day refrigerators. So, it looks like it's gonna pizza tonight! Next morning, Louie wakes up with yet another part of his body all red and puffed up: his hands. When his parents ask what happened, Louie sheepishly explains that he couldn't sleep and he kept thinking about Jeannie Harper, and, well, one thing lead to another... I'm just kidding. He didn't say that. It's another apparent allergic reaction. So, for Louie's own good, he'd dragged to the doctor's office.
Flamboyant Dr. Weatherfield diagnoses Louie as being allergic to grain, and so he would need a weekly allergy shot. He decides to go ahead and inject Louie right then there, but like the incompetent, twelfth-rate, cheap physician he is, he nearly gave him the wrong serum! Good thing he stopped before a hefty malpractice suit made the Andersons millionaires. Well, the doc has to run off to play golf, but promises Louie a shot in two days. It's at this point we learn Louie's deep, dark secret: he's afraid of needles. Andy balks at that notion, saying he'd been shot 13 times in the war, in back of the head--explains so much--and says medical shots are no big deal. Sadly, fate reared its ugly head as Andy attempted to lift the broken refrigerator and then threw out his back. Louie accompanied him to the hospital where Dr. Weatherfield was going to give him a muscle relaxer... via a hypodermic. At first, Andy was nervous, but when he saw the same expression of fear and dread on his son's face, he changed his game and demanded a bigger needle. He takes it in the rear, and is as good as new... for a few minutes, then the effects of the serum set in and he sings "Kumbaya" the whole ride home. In fact, he's in such good spirits, he makes the paramedics pull over at the appliance store where he buys a new refrigerator! But not just any refrigerator, an Ice Pick 2000: the Cadillac of refrigerators, and Andy donated their old one to the dump. That same day, Louie was due for his first allergy shot. Taking his dad's experience to heart, Louie's now asking for a bigger needle. "Gimme the biggest one you've got." He took it like a man, and didn't even feel a thing. From then on, allergy shots were no problem, and Louie got to stuff his face with all the types of food he wanted.
I think most of us can relate to Louie in his fears of getting shots, I mean who as a kid (or even an adult) enjoyed getting a shot in the arm...or anywhere else? This episode has a good message about facing your fears, and not having to face them alone. Why if Andy hadn't thrown out his back, he never could've shown Louie that getting the needle was no big deal, or would he have been in such good spirits to break down and buy a new fridge. Maybe they should dope him with muscle relaxer more often. Any children nervous about their first shots would definitely benefit from watching this episode. Despite the doctor being a goofball and almost injecting Louie with the wrong stuff. I think after that, I would've switched physicians. But then again, the guy worked at the free clinic, so... you get what you pay for.
Flamboyant Dr. Weatherfield diagnoses Louie as being allergic to grain, and so he would need a weekly allergy shot. He decides to go ahead and inject Louie right then there, but like the incompetent, twelfth-rate, cheap physician he is, he nearly gave him the wrong serum! Good thing he stopped before a hefty malpractice suit made the Andersons millionaires. Well, the doc has to run off to play golf, but promises Louie a shot in two days. It's at this point we learn Louie's deep, dark secret: he's afraid of needles. Andy balks at that notion, saying he'd been shot 13 times in the war, in back of the head--explains so much--and says medical shots are no big deal. Sadly, fate reared its ugly head as Andy attempted to lift the broken refrigerator and then threw out his back. Louie accompanied him to the hospital where Dr. Weatherfield was going to give him a muscle relaxer... via a hypodermic. At first, Andy was nervous, but when he saw the same expression of fear and dread on his son's face, he changed his game and demanded a bigger needle. He takes it in the rear, and is as good as new... for a few minutes, then the effects of the serum set in and he sings "Kumbaya" the whole ride home. In fact, he's in such good spirits, he makes the paramedics pull over at the appliance store where he buys a new refrigerator! But not just any refrigerator, an Ice Pick 2000: the Cadillac of refrigerators, and Andy donated their old one to the dump. That same day, Louie was due for his first allergy shot. Taking his dad's experience to heart, Louie's now asking for a bigger needle. "Gimme the biggest one you've got." He took it like a man, and didn't even feel a thing. From then on, allergy shots were no problem, and Louie got to stuff his face with all the types of food he wanted.
I think most of us can relate to Louie in his fears of getting shots, I mean who as a kid (or even an adult) enjoyed getting a shot in the arm...or anywhere else? This episode has a good message about facing your fears, and not having to face them alone. Why if Andy hadn't thrown out his back, he never could've shown Louie that getting the needle was no big deal, or would he have been in such good spirits to break down and buy a new fridge. Maybe they should dope him with muscle relaxer more often. Any children nervous about their first shots would definitely benefit from watching this episode. Despite the doctor being a goofball and almost injecting Louie with the wrong stuff. I think after that, I would've switched physicians. But then again, the guy worked at the free clinic, so... you get what you pay for.