Epsiode 0213  -  YOU BETTER WATCH OUT


"Cheer up, Marcy. These things could've been worse. He could've landed on
the picket fence." (Peg)

Can you say 'excuse', boys and girls? We seem to have jumped direct to
episode 13 of season 2, namely "You Better Watch Out". Hmm...today is the
23rd of December and it's a Christmas episode. I wonder what the connection
is. They'd better go back and show the missing episodes or I'll be miffed.
Anyhow, this explains one instant thing that struck me - the increased roles
for the children. Both Bud and Kelly get to actually deliver more than three
consecutive lines in this story, and David Faustino's acting in particular
is a notable improvement. Christina Applegate, on the other hand, seems to
be sleeping her way through the script for part of it, only to wake up a
little right at the end. By the way, the plant is still there behind the
door. It now has differently coloured leaves. 

"Bud, apologise to your sister." (Al)
"No!"
"Okay."

This episode is a big improvement, as if the gap between seasons was put to
good use by all members of the cast. Peg and Al's relationship is still full
of sniping but has a much more comfortable air to it now, while it's
noticeable that Steve and Marcy are not anything like as tactile
(touchy-feely) as they were in the first season. Even when Marcy is
hysterical about the dead Santa (which, btw, I think is very funny), Steve
is more interested in getting sloshed on some wine to forget his own
distress. In earlier episodes I think he would have held Marcy first and
then turned to the bottle for himself. Oddly there seems to be less
friendliness between himself and Al, and between the Rhoadeses and Bundys in
general in this episode. I wonder if I missed something in the intervening
thirteen or so episodes.

"We thought long and hard about your present. We donated money to the
National Society of Women in your name." (Steve)

The plot of this episode is quite a budget-saver, being set entirely in the
Bundy front room without a glimpse even of the shoe store or anywhere else.
Once Santa has fallen, so to speak, things liven up a lot more, although at
least we get a glimpse of what 'normal' Bundy life is like before the
Tragedy of the Week (tm) kicks in. The coroner/detective is a pretty
superfluous character, there only to crack a few weak one-liners and eat a
piece of pizza; it would have been much easier (and better) to give those
lines to Steve or Marcy. Still, them's the breaks, and this is a good fun
episode. Not my favourite Christmas story (that honour goes to "Christmas"
in S7) but still well worth watching.

Rating 8.