Who's the Boss?: Protecting the President

Who's the Boss?: Protecting the President
ABC
January 22, 1985
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Ellen Guylas wrote this story that shows how Angela's personal life impacts her professional life, and vice versa.  It begins with Tony barbecuing in the backyard despite the cold weather (perhaps with the BBQ the household won in the episode where Sam and Jonathan run off to Brooklyn).  Jim Peterson (Boen) drops by to tell Angela the news that her friend Grant has resigned as chairman of the board.  She doesn't believe it, until Grant calls.  Now there'll be a new chairman, McKenna (played by Stahl), and Angela might not be president any longer.  She throws a dinner party for McKenna, but Peterson wins him over.  When Jim not only gloats to Tony, who's playing bartender, but says that Angela is president because she slept with Grant, Tony throws him out into the snow.  Jim claims they had a disagreement over football, and Tony is too much of a gentleman to repeat what Jim said (especially in front of all her co-workers).  When Angela finds out, she takes to her bed, catching a psychosomatic cold and wearing her hair in ponytails.  Sam gives Tony some good advice, and Mona offers motherly sympathy, more than she'd show in later seasons.  So Tony invites Jim over so he can apologize to Jim, but Angela stands up for herself and Tony.

I like how we get the catharsis of Tony evicting Jim, but mostly I like how we see the different characters supporting each other.  It's also a funny episode, including Angela trying to fake an interest in sports.  Note that we don't see Grant, but we learn that she did sleep with him after her promotion.  Presumably their relationship is either over or open, since she's been out with a few men since the pilot.

This is the only WtB episode directed by Harvey Medlinsky, who also did one for The Bob Newhart Show and three for Mork & Mindy.  And it's the 1100th sitcom episode I've reviewed.