411 Retro TV Review: Small Wonder - Episode 12
Posted by Leonard Hayhurst on 11.07.2007
The Lawsons forget all about the Brindles calling children services on them and invite them to move in
“The Brindles Move In”
Original airdate: November 23rd 1985
Regular Cast
Vicki the robot: Tiffany Brissette
Ted Lawson: Dick Christie
Joan Lawson: Marla Pennington
Jamie Lawson: Jerry Supiran
Harriet Brindle: Emily Schulman
Bonnie Brindle: Edie McClurg
Brandon Brindle: William Bogert
Ida Mae Brindle: Alice Ghostley
Reggie Williams: Paul C. Scott
You might remember that we were missing an episode. Now we’re missing two. Episode 11 was not on any of the discs. According to the online episode guide, it was a continuation of the previous episode. Mrs. Fernwald wants Vicki to go to school, so the Lawsons hire a private tutor. He thinks Vicki is a genius. This leads Joan to go back to school to get her teaching degree so she can tutor Vicki. While away, Ted plays Mr. Mom without the Michael Keaton level wit and comedy chops. I normally wouldn’t be crying over being out an episode, but this one actually sounded like it had plot and character development. It was probably taken out of syndicated rotation, because they can’t let any actually good episodes get out there.
We whine, we cry, we dry our tears and move on. In the next episode we do have the Lawsons are forced to take the Brindles into their home a scant two episodes after Bonnie blew the whistle on them to children services. I believe “Lawson” is Icelandic for “doormat.” William Bogert and Edie McClurg return as guest stars, so we still have hopes of a decent episode. Not a lot, but some.
Vicki peels potatoes for dinner. She cuts them into little cubes as to be geometrically perfect. If Stephen Hawking had the ability, he would have popped a boner. Ted storms in from work. He doesn’t want to talk about what happened. Joan believes that Ted getting it off his chest will make him feel better. See, I expected Vicki to take that literally and rip his shirt off him. However, we are saved from feasting on Ted’s pasty white man boobs. Brandon Brindle got the promotion and raise Ted thought he deserved. Brandon is now his boss. I could see Brandon walking around with a “Sucks to be You” t-shirt. Actually, I should get one of those myself.
Jamie rushes in. The Brindles house is on fire. Ted is all giggles. If there is one thing funnier than a child custody battle, it’s arson. The Brindles comes in the back door. Harriet has her parrot that was mentioned in a previous episode. Continuity~! Drink! The parrot not only talks, but also appears to be a ventriloquist because he never opens his mouth, er…beak. Bonnie and Harriet have some fire extinguisher foam on them, but it just looks like they were Oxycuting some zits. McClurg works in her trademark “no, no, no, no, no.” They worm their way into staying the night with the Lawsons. They go to get some stuff.
Vicki’s repeating of everything is really annoying in this episode. You would think Ted would have fixed that by now. It’s very foolish for him to bitch about the Brindles with Vicki and a parrot in the room to hear him. Ted is suspicious that they come back so soon with everything packed. They complain about the sofa bed. They do suck. Joan offers a sleeping bag. Brandon implies he already has one in Bonnie. Snaps galore! Bonnie fires back that he keeps her in stitches and if he keeps it up she’ll put him in stitches. The snaps strike back! They won’t impose on dinner, so Bonnie will cook after Joan gets done. Nah, screw that, Joan can cook for all of them. Bonnie goes to take a bubble bath. Brandon follows her. That far off sound you hear is me puking as I contemplate the Brindles getting down and dirty in the bath.
Cut to two days later with Harriet using Jamie’s bathroom. I can’t believe she hasn’t discovered that Vicki sleeps in the closet. Harriet gets in a good line that she has everything every other woman has ever had at her age, we just don’t know how it’s going to turn out yet. I’m guessing a cross between Pippie Longstockings and a drag queen. Vicki mimics the parrot and Harriet is suspicious. I’m waiting on the episode where someone thinks Vicki is possessed by the devil. Ted rushes in. He was off smelling the Brindles house. Pervert. It’s smoke free, but Joan tells him not to make any waves. Her sudden niceness to the Brindles gives me visions of an unholy ménage trois. That new sound is a gunshot. Don’t fret, I just plugged myself in the knee so the new pain would give me something else to think about.
In the living room, the Brindles continue to freeload. Ted reveals that the house smells better. Brandon then reveals that he’s going to try and scam the fire insurance to replace things he never owned like golf clubs, binoculars, a Rolls Royce, a pony, Cheryl Ladd. You know, basic cool stuff. In order to sell the insurance fraud Brandon believes they should stay with the Lawsons another couple days. Up in Jamie’s room, Vicki thrashes Harriet in checkers. The parrot squawks that Brandon started the fire with a cigar. Of course, that wouldn’t be covered under the insurance due to the non-smokers clause. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ted and Joan decide to get tough. Ted tries to get the Brindles to at least go to a hotel. They are shocked and appalled. Brandon threatens to fire Ted. The kids come in and the jig is up. Ted uses the info to blackmail the Brindles into getting out. Blackmail is third on the list of funny sitcom plotlines.
The 411: In a change up of Vicki serving as the closer for an episode, we have Plot Device Polly. The Brindles bring the funny…well, the slightly more amusing than usual. Yet, a lot of the gags were about the same from their first appearance. Still, that’s enough to earn this one a point, a very liberally given point.
