Ellen: Give Me Equity or Give Me Death

Ellen: Give Me Equity or Give Me Death
ABC
September 18, 1996
Sitcom
DVD
B-

I would've gone with a B for this Dava-Savel-written fourth-season opener, if not for, ugh, Spence.  I can tolerate his relationship with Paige, including that he doesn't know if he likes or loves her, beyond her smell.  But I don't appreciate him being a moron when he's giving Ellen legal advice.

The hint-dropping and audience-teasing of this season really begin in earnest.  Ellen sings, "I feel witty and pretty and-- Hey!"  She wears boxer shorts.  And when Peter's realtor, Margaret (Nancy Lenehan, who was a Happy Customer on Roseanne in '90 and who would return in this role thrice more), does a slide show in Ellen's living room, she has a doll for Ellen and a doll for Ellen's husband, causing Ellen to remark that that doll is in the wrong story.  But officially, the main change in Ellen's life is she really wants a house and she's tempted to sell the bookstore to two hippie entrepreneurs, Tom and Larry (a Ben & Jerry satire I've always assumed).

Larry Hankin, who was Gus on That Girl in '68, is Larry.  Raymond Forchion, who'd previously been Customer #2, is Smitty here.  This is the first of thirty episodes Gil Junger would direct in the last two seasons of Ellen.