Bosom Buddies: The Slightly Illustrated Man

Bosom Buddies: The Slightly Illustrated Man
ABC
January 8, 1982
Sitcom
DVD
B

Chris Thompson wrote this episode that manages to work despite its shaky premise.  After hearing for over a year how much Kip loves Sonny, it feels odd that he wants to go out with another woman, and that Henry and Amy don't seem to care.  Then Sonny walks in on Kip kissing the woman and claims not to be jealous.  But then she goes out with Beau DeLabarre.  I mean, clearly the only reason why she'd take a pretty boy like Stephen Shortridge, playing a character named Tim, to the hotel restaurant is so that Kip could see them.

I like how Kip is mocked for the macho posturing he tries to do, with Tim responding in kind, Henry pointing out that Kip has been in only one fight and he lost it, to a 4th-grade girl with a false leg.  Meanwhile, Isabelle thinks "white people sure fight boring."  And Amy eggs Kip on.

This episode is a bit similar to the one where Kip and Amy schemed to get Sonny and Henry, only now they're on better terms, sort of like a brother and sister who've made peace with each other.  This time they get drunk, commiserate, and, with a crab in tow, go out to get tattoos to demonstrate their readiness to commit.

J.J. Barry, who's probably most recognizable to '70s and '80s sitcom fans as Janet's boss on Three's Company, does a nice turn as the tattoo artist, particularly playing well off Ruth, who is in the parlor to have a butt tattoo covered up with vines and flowers.  (If you go by sitcoms, the posterior is the most popular place to get an embarrassing tattoo.  See Carol on The Bob Newhart Show, and Jack on Three's Company coming up later.)

K & S and A & H clear up their respective relationships and Kip uses the term "post-'70s."  In some ways, that's almost a more accurate term for where we are now than "early '80s."  It definitely is no longer the '70s, but the '80s haven't solidified yet.  This episode makes some interesting points and has unexpected humor and overall, as I said, is better than it should be.