Who's the Boss?: Wedding Bells?

Who's the Boss?: Wedding Bells?
ABC
November 11, 1986
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Ellen Guylas wrote this episode, which is another of the pivotal ones for the series, and particularly for the season.  Doctors Paul Ferguson* (Jim Jansen) and Isabel Schaeffer (Fern Fitzgerald) are engaged and she wants Angela as her matron of honor, although she hasn't known Angela as long as their mutual friend Wendy Wittener (Dori Brenner).  Dr. Ferguson wants Tony to be his best man.  The couple met through a dinner party at Angela's, which Tony cooked for.  We also find out that Isabel is divorced and has two children, but I don't know if Marci's mother is dead or divorced.

At the wedding, both Tony and Angela imagine getting married to each other, a tease of the audience, in light of the fact that almost six more years would go by and they'd never get beyond an engagement.  And yet, the episode itself shows why their journey would be so long and frustrating.  An older couple, ironically named Fred and Ginger, find the idea of Angela marrying her housekeeper ridiculous, and Tony takes this a lot more personally than Angela does.  He has his pride and he now sees that a big success like her would be mocked for "marrying beneath her."  Then Isabel throws the bouquet across the room and to Angela's table.

They started as friends.

Enter bachelor Geoffrey Wells (Robin Thomas in his first of six appearances).  He tells Tony he's looking for the perfect woman and then later asks Angela to dance.  Angela hesitates but Tony encourages her.  Geoffrey says he owes Tony a finder's fee.  Mona, who had used her catty wit against Fred and Ginger, comes over to check on Tony.  He dances with her but his eyes are on Angela.

In the tag, Tony gives Angela a foot rub, a sign of their closeness, and yet he encourages her to date Geoffrey.  She reacts to the massage sensuously, so he stops.  There's a lot of conflicted feelings in this episode, especially for Tony.  He will end up regretting her relationship with Geoffrey, but at this point I think he's too scared to pursue anything with Angela and he's happy to have an excuse not to.

This is the last appearance of Marci (Nicole Eggert), as well as of Isabel.  (Dr. Ferguson would impact the plot of this season's Christmas episode.)  Tony Danza's brother Matty plays a Waiter here and would later be Marty at Marty's Melody Room.


*IMDB has him listed as "Doyle Ferguson," which might've been his name at his first appearance.  Generally he's referred to as "Dr. Ferguson" or "Marci's dad."  But he is clearly addressed as Paul more than once by Isabel, who should know.