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| Meet-cute and spin-off launcher. |
ABC
May 15, 1984
Sitcom
DVD
B-
Show creators Michael "Mickey" Ross and Bernie West co-wrote this episode with George Burditt. (Don Nicholl died in the summer of '80, another reason Season Five was dramatic behind the scenes.) I like how they acknowledge that Jack and Janet have a history in the apartment, as when she says they had a lot of fun there and he says, "Ain't dat the truth?" However, it does bug me that less energy goes into establishing Janet's relationship, or even chemistry, with Phillip than went into some of her one-episode boyfriends. I realize that the producers were eager to transition over to the sequel, and so the focus is mostly on Jack's relationship with Vicky Bradford (Cadorette), but I don't like seeing Janet short-changed like this, especially when her engagement should be a bigger deal. This episode also introduces Robert Mandan as Vicky's father, James Bradford, and Mandan is basically in Chester Tate mode, without the lechery and deceit, i.e. he's pompous and he disapproves of his daughter's "low-class" boyfriend.
The version on DVD says to be continued next week, but it would in fact be the next Fall before this series wrapped up.
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