Three's Company: Hearing Is Believing

Three's Company: Hearing Is Believing
ABC
November 8, 1983
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is the first of two 3'sC stories written by Neal Marlens, who would go on to be a creator of Ellen.  The significance is that that '90s sitcom would be thematically conflicted, not unlike this episode and this season.  In a way, this is the old "overhearing is believing" set-up of so many episodes.  In this case, Janet thinks that Jack's new girlfriend, a sex therapist, is a prostitute.  Janet is particularly upset because her father (Macon McCalman for the last time) will be visiting.  And no one understands why she's upset.

The thing is, it doesn't work.  Even at 15, I watched in disbelief as Janet misread aloud the business card, "Dr. Doreen McMillan, the rapist!"  It's not funny enough to get past the implausibility.  However, watching this now, I'm struck by the fact that Jack is again dating a sophisticated blonde career-woman, one who intimidates him sexually.  (This may or may not be foreshadowing to his first night with Vicki, although there I think he's nervous because he's in love and wants everything to be perfect.)  It would've been much more interesting if they dumped the whole Janet-misunderstanding and concentrated on Jack's relationship with Doreen.  But then I was a lot more into exploring the Barbara-the-archaeologist relationship than the misunderstanding about her mother.

Brad Blaisdell returns as Mike the Bartender.