Domestic comedies made a comeback in the mid-80s thanks to the success of THE COSBY SHOW, and Valerie Harper could read the phone book and make it funny, but this episode is way beneath her talents.
Writer Charlie Hauck penned some of the most hilarious episodes of MAUDE and director James Burroughs had worked with Harper on MTM and RHODA and directed some of TV's most prestigious sitcoms through the decades so there's no excuse for mediocrity.
The script explains the premise in a very clunky way, with a refrigerator repairman having coffee at Valerie's kitchen table while youngest son Mark (Jeremy Licht) basically introduces each character as they enter the scene. It is evident already that Mark is the studious one and his twin Willie (Danny Ponce) is the smart-aleck slacker.
One of the rare funny moments occurs when Willie's about to utter a curse word and Valerie stuffs a waffle in his mouth. A future episode will repeat this gag but with much funnier results, and will provide some character continuity for Willie being a potty-mouth.
Jason Bateman's character David is in the spotlight here as the plot revolves around Val's shock that her 16-year-old son is dating a 24-year-old woman. Bateman's acting isn't the greatest and the script has him repeating the same tired lines over and over as he asks to borrow the car.
Skip this dreadful episode and go directly to the next one. The difference in quality between the two is astonishing.
Writer Charlie Hauck penned some of the most hilarious episodes of MAUDE and director James Burroughs had worked with Harper on MTM and RHODA and directed some of TV's most prestigious sitcoms through the decades so there's no excuse for mediocrity.
The script explains the premise in a very clunky way, with a refrigerator repairman having coffee at Valerie's kitchen table while youngest son Mark (Jeremy Licht) basically introduces each character as they enter the scene. It is evident already that Mark is the studious one and his twin Willie (Danny Ponce) is the smart-aleck slacker.
One of the rare funny moments occurs when Willie's about to utter a curse word and Valerie stuffs a waffle in his mouth. A future episode will repeat this gag but with much funnier results, and will provide some character continuity for Willie being a potty-mouth.
Jason Bateman's character David is in the spotlight here as the plot revolves around Val's shock that her 16-year-old son is dating a 24-year-old woman. Bateman's acting isn't the greatest and the script has him repeating the same tired lines over and over as he asks to borrow the car.
Skip this dreadful episode and go directly to the next one. The difference in quality between the two is astonishing.