Ellen: The Mugging

Ellen: The Mugging
ABC
May 21, 1996
Sitcom
DVD
B

This episode written by David S. Rosenthal was filmed during Season One, but aired two years later, which is why it briefly includes Holly and Anita.  The focus is mostly on Ellen and Adam's friendship, and what happens when he witnesses his new "girlfriend" (a woman he technically dates for about four days) being mugged and is too cowardly to come forward, and then he makes Ellen pretend to be the witness.  There are some interesting character moments here, and while Adam's behavior is regrettable, he does indeed suffer for it.  I can't imagine this plot with Spence, since, while he could be as dishonest with women as Adam, he would never be as passive about witnessing a crime as Adam and would likely run down and catch the mugger, as he did with the thief in the first Matt episode.  (This somewhat resembles that episode, in that we see a police line-up.)

Dave Florek, who was Chris on Who's the Boss?, here plays an Officer.  And Greg Germann is again Ellen's weird neighbor Rick.

Counting the two Season-One-made episodes, Ellen in Season Three ranges from C to B+, averaging out to a B-, with twelve of the twenty-seven episodes receiving a B-.  The substitution of Spence for Adam (yes, they overlap, but not much) harms the show but not irrevocably.  Season Four would see more changes, but these would have less to do with the cast than with the behind-the-scenes struggle over whether, when, and how Ellen Morgan would come out.

These Friends of Mine: The Refrigerator

These Friends of Mine: The Refrigerator
ABC
August 9, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B

TFoM came back for a bit for the summer, before becoming a regular series in the Fall.  The writing here, by Richard Day (his first of seven) and David S. Rosenthal, is comparatively sharp in this story of several refrigerators.  The characters (including Anita) are defined enough that we can see them play off of each other, including Holly's lack of assertiveness.  And the physical comedy works, especially when Ellen twice gets attacked by freezers.

Don Stark, who was twice an uncredited Student on Welcome Back, Kotter, and who's probably best known as Bob Pinciotti, here plays a Repairman.

These Friends of Mine: The Promotion

These Friends of Mine: The Promotion
ABC
April 20, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
C+

David S. Rosenthal wrote this convoluted story which starts promisingly with Ellen's mother, Lois (Alice Hirson in her first appearance) advising Ellen to buy a baby gift for her boss, Susan (Cristine Rose, also in her first appearance).  But somehow this leads to Ellen being blackmailed by the Mexican nanny, who goes out with Adam and then gets Ellen and friends to bring her sons across the border, but Ellen gets arrested for importing art for Holly and Anita.  And, yes, Ellen's mother asking about her love life is even more awkward in retrospect.

Rosie Taravella, who was in all three parts of the Who's the Boss? finale, here plays a Clerk.

These Friends of Mine: The Class Reunion

These Friends of Mine: The Class Reunion
ABC
April 13, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B-

While there are things I like about this episode, Mark Wilding's first of three, like the use of period (ca. 1979) music, and Ellen and Adam pretending to be a married couple and doing fake laughter, it does feel off to me.  For instance, while there's some humor to Ellen's classmate Holly being jealous of Anita (who didn't go to their high school) being the belle of the ball, I kept waiting for some kind of confrontation, or at least line, resolving it.  Also, the actor playing Ellen's old crush comes across as a little creepy, so resolving that thread by having Adam and Rick (Greg Germann again) ruin the romance doesn't seem right.  Note that the episode's use of the word "bi" (in a throwaway line about a character we'll never see again) is a relatively early one for television, and not the last for the series.

Michael Chieffo, who was the Two of Spades in the 1985 Alice in Wonderland TV-movie, plays Ellen's classmate who's a Bank VP.  Brenda Varda, who played Lizzie on Who's the Boss?, here is Ellen's lawyer classmate.

These Friends of Mine: The Anchor

These Friends of Mine: The Anchor
ABC
March 30, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B

Although this was the second TFoM episode to air, and the first in the regular slot on Wednesdays, it was actually the fifth shot, and indeed the TFoM/Ellen air-date order would be drastically different than the production order.  In any case, this episode, written by David S. Rosenthal, is interesting, and funny in its own right, as it introduces Ellen's annoying friend Audrey Penney, played perfectly by Clea Lewis.  Oddly enough, her character is originally overly negative, while later she would be unbelievably upbeat.  Ellen accidentally offends her through call-waiting, and there are some nice visual gags with split screens.  Meanwhile, Holly stuffs her bra to make a point and then wonders if her new boyfriend will accept her "breast reduction."  And, yes, the references to puppies would later become ironic.

This was the first episode where Ellen's weird neighbor Rick, played by Greg Germann, appeared.  Rob Schiller directed this and four other early episodes.