BigWhiskers

I've watched all of the episodes multiple times with the exception of this one . Warranted there are other episodes that are crappy but this one is below even bottom feeder standards. I remember how seething I was after watching this episode back when it first aired. It wasn't even funny ,it was just mean and so loathing. A guy who was an abusive bully in the Navy is the focal point of my disgust over this episode ,he beat Jack up when Jack was in the Navy just because Jack said Hi to him . So now he's in town and somehow(it's never explained) he gets a hold of Jacks phone number and calls the apt . He gets Chrissy on the phone and tells her that he knew Jack in the Navy and wants to see Jack.So she unknowingly invites a total stranger over (surprise surprise) and when Jack finds out of course he is upset because the guy was a bully to him and others for no reason.

Jack gets bullied in other episodes too that I don't like but this one is the worst episode of a TV sitcom in my opinion. It makes no sense, a guy Jack barely knew in the Navy beats him up for no reason and then years later decides to do more of the same. The guy is still an abusive AH except now he's blind , so that's supposed to make us pity him? He asks Jack to hit him and when Jack wont ,the writers think it funny to let the guy trash the apt while everyone does nothing. I was so PO'ed by now. So eventually Mrs Roper screams "Hit Him" but rather than a satisfying payoff of the AH getting his just rewards. What do the writers do, they have the guy say "Jack if you're gonna hit me ,at least tell me which direction it's coming from " so he blocks Jacks punch and hits Jack across the face . I was like WTF? are you kidding me ? . I wanted to write the damn show and I should have even though I was only 14. I'd been bullied enough to know that a bullying AH wont change unless he gets tossed in jail or has his ass handed to him so he learns respect. Just because the guy was blind and adding pity to it was such BS by the writers, i would have had the girls beat him up including Mrs Roper who discovers that he's not totally blind and knocks him out with one punch

One of the better episodes from Season 4 . Sally Chadwick ,a friend who Barbara hasn't seen in a year shows up with a baby. Turns out she's an unwed teen who had a fling with a high school boy the previous summer. Eventually Ann and Julie discover that the father is Cliff Randall the boy whom Julie is currently dating. The situation is played out very believably with Cliff coming clean with Barbara who gets upset and blows up. Then Sally comes back from a job interview and she and Cliff get into a discussion over what's happened. Initially they had agreed to put the child up for adoption but unknown to Cliff, she couldn't do it. In the end they both decided that they need to give the child to people who can take care of him and support him since neither of them are even high school grads and have no jobs or much money.

Actor Scott Colomby(Cliff Randall) who up to this point was mere filler as a small part recurring character who was dating Barbara actually gets to show some decent acting chops in this episode ,the final scene with him getting choked up over having to put his child up for adoption is sad yet powerful. It's too bad his character did not return for any more episodes, he simply disappeared and was never heard from again. The only thing I did not like about this episode was the poor choice of the writers to have Schneider do his stupid comedy schlock in a very inappropriate situation. I mean I couldn't stand his character , it got really tired after 4 seasons.

The episode starts off good enough with some funny gags at Ann's expense on turning 36.Schneider's birthday poem to her is a bit mean but it is still funny. She tells her daughters than she doesn't want a party as she obviously doesn't want to celebrate being so called over the hill . Then she meets with a handsome plastic surgeon who's a client of her advertising firm. He makes her feel really good when shes down in the dumps about turning 36 and falling into the over 35 crowd. So much so that she mistakes his kind words as maybe a possible romantic interest. This prompts her to tell him to drop off her advertising proposal after he reviews it at her now suddenly on again birthday party. Barbara and Schneider sense a change in her at the party , she is now confident ,happy and glowing ,that is until she answers the door and sees the handsome plastic surgeon with a much younger girl on his arm. It doesn't help any that Julie recognizes her as a former classmate just a few years older than she. This sends Anne into a downward spiral where she retreats to her bedroom and does a self examination of her now middle aged life. This is where it bogs down a little and becomes the Bonnie Franklin show with her talking to herself and giving herself the one over and adding little anecdotes about middle age.

While I applaud Ms Franklin for she was a really good actress , this all by myself , feel sorry for me ,one woman act gets boring really quick. It gets heavy handed and whiny and she wants the audience to get all "Aww poor Annie feelings" . Then of course she feels better after giving herself a pep talk and she eventually goes back out to the party at the end and dances with a male friend. The acting was really good for the most part and for once Julie and Barbara treated her with respect and put her front and center. Too bad Julie was rarely portrayed as a loving daughter in this fashion. Oh and a couple goofs , Franklin was actually 33 when this episode aired and the actress playing his date was 24 making it impossible that she was a senior in HS when Julie was a junior since Phillips was only 18 at the time. 7/10