User Reviews

The story begins with a dinner at the Petries where a few of their friends and Rob's parents are spending the evening together. At the end of the dinner, Rob's parents spring a surprise on Laura...they're giving her custody of a family heirloom. The bigger surprise is that it's an absolutely hideous and huge piece of jewelry...and she's expected to wear it proudly.

Laura obviously hates it but hides it from her in-laws. However, what is difficult to hide is that she later accidentally dropped it into the garbage disposal and it's destroyed. She takes what remains to a jeweler and tries her best to remember how it looked before the accident.

This was a very enjoyable episode...not among the funniest but still very funny. The twist at the end was also very nice and is well worth seeing.

I'm 65 now, and even after all these years, I STILL remember how my parents and I howled at a line from this episode. When Laura takes the mangled brooch to a jeweller to get it fixed, she says "It's supposed to look like the United States". The jeweller -- who had a delightful Central European accent -- peers closely at it, and finally says, "You would not settle for Czechoslovakia?" "No" "How about a cockeyed Poland?'

It's true, and rare. Some of the final season episodes are really terrific, and usually that's not the case with most tv series. This is one of them. A gem.

Laura receives the prize family brooch from Rob's cautious, protective mom ( best played by Isabel Randolph)... and as Petrie luck has it, accidentally grinds it up in the kitchen sink waste disposal! This is a family fate worse than death.

This is a hilarious, and relatable in many ways. How many of us have gotten a family heirloom, only to have something happen to it??? Murphys Law strikes again!

Laura quickly takes it to a jeweler, who works his magic... but... but... there's something not quite right.

Did you think it would all work out?

Well written by series regular Dale McRaven, who later wrote some campy episodes for THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, and many other top sitcoms.

Mary Tyler Moore is truly at her worried, helpless, what the heck am I gonna' do now -- best. You feel soooo sorry for Laura.

Best of SEASON 5 remastered dvd box set.