Three's Company: Double Date

Three's Company: Double Date
ABC
September 12, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In its third season, Three's Company remained in its Tuesday slot after Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley and it would become #2 in the ratings, after L & S, while Days fell to #3.  Dave Powers took over (for 140 episodes!) as the main director and the show seemed to have a winning formula.  I certainly remember enjoying it.  And yet, while no sharkbait by any means, I can see some changes that in the long run would not serve the show.  One is the dumbing down of Chrissy, not too egregious here, but certainly noticeable compared to the first two seasons.  (Her new look is also less natural.)  The more significant change in terms of this episode is that Jack, egged on by Larry, is getting more manipulative and dishonest with women.  Not that he didn't have that trait to begin with-- Man About the House's Robin had it before him-- but it is the trait that gets Flanderized.  That means I guess that Janet will become more sensible, which will be played with in the next episode.

Note that Linda (Schedeen) is upset about Jack lying to her in order to break their date and go out with another girl, and yet she'll return, just like she did when she found out that Jack only wanted to marry her because he thought she was pregnant.  Also, before I sat down and watched this episode, I had it confused with a similar one (I think later this season) where Jack entertains four women in two or three apartments.