Bosom Buddies: The Truth and Other Lies

Bosom Buddies: The Truth and Other Lies
ABC
October 8, 1981
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Bosom Buddies for the moment continued airing on Thursdays after Mork & Mindy, but for now with Best of the West* in between.  But, as with some other shows in their second season, Buddies decided to try something new.  I know that some people consider this Leonard Ripps story a shark-jump, but I don't find the revealing of Kip and Henry's identities to be a deal-breaker for the show. I do have some quibbles with this episode, but nothing like I did with Three's Company's season-opener.

Kip and Sonny are getting closer, including sharing a kiss they both find incredible.  He wants to tell her the truth.  Henry supports him but expects Kip to wait till they get back to the hotel, not to pull Sonny aside at a gathering for the President of San Flan (a literally banana republic, if the flag is any indication).  Of course Kip is his usual spontaneous self and strips to the waist, shortly before the curtain is drawn back so that everyone can salute that flag.  The studio audience has a great time, first anticipating and then seeing the reveal and consequences.  Some of that has faded for the home viewer over time, but there are some nice touches, like Ruth's amusement, and Sonny pulling Amy's hair as if expecting it to be a wig.  (Has she never seen her roommate naked or at least in underwear?)

Isabelle is also present.  She's managing the hotel in Lilly's absence, and it's suggested Lilly won't be coming back, as she's engaged to a native island king.  I don't know how Lilly would've taken the reveal, but Isabelle decides to put her friendship for the guys, as well as her own pride, ahead of the rules of the hotel.  Kip and Henry can stay, as long as no one else at the Susan B. finds out.

Sonny is not as easily placated.  She's very angry at Kip (not so much at Henry) and she has it out with him.  They yell and they push each other's shoulders, but he tells her he did it all for love of her.  And they have another passionate kiss.  The scene ends with fireworks and a train crash, indicating more passion, although we'll find out in subsequent episodes that they never have sex.

My issues with the episode are that the transition from anger to affection is uncomfortable, although I'm not sure how else it could've been played; and that there is minor racism, with San Flan and the native chieftain.  Still, I feel like Buddies is in a better place at this point than Mork & Mindy, and I'm not just saying that with hindsight.

It looks like this is the first episode Joel Zwick directed since the Pilot, although it also looks like he'd do all of the second season.


*Western comedy the critics loved and the viewers didn't.  I watched, given that line-up, but don't remember much beyond it had Joel Higgins pre-Silver-Spoons.