0402  -  Dead Men Don't Do Aerobics


Synopsis:  Peggy enters and wins a contest to have Jim Jupiter "The Healthiest Man in Chicago" come 
and stay for two weeks with Peg, much to Al’s chagrin.  While Peg is expecting a treat to watching Jim 
work out, Jim expects Peggy to work out too.  A battle of wills is engaged as to whether or not Jim 
will get Peggy to exercise for the next two weeks, or will Peggy turn Jim into a bon-bon eating bump 
on a log like her?  Guess who wins.

Thoughts:    Season 4 has got some great episodes.  This is one of the better ones with some great 
lines between cast members.  Were pretty sure we know that Peggy wins in the end, and even though 
the scenes with her and Jim aren’t made to the fullest potential, the rest is gold.  

	 This is primarily a Peg episode.  But everyone in the show still gets at least one good 
line to say.  The kids for the most part (again) take back seat to the rest of the proceedings and 
make appearances towards the end.  It is a little strange to see Peg actually care for the family 
at this point in the series (remember how the family used to care?) but feeling guilt for what she 
did to Jim, she decides that the family change their greasy eating habits, thankfully it doesn’t 
last.  Thank god for Peg’s weak will power.

	Marcy gets about as much screen time as Al in this episode, mostly joining Peg to ogle 
Jim on TV and another scene with her using Peg to hang around with Jim.  Steve gets about as much 
as the kids.  Jim Jupiter once introduced is in almost the rest of the show, until his well, 
departure.  Not intended to be a funny character, he provides the set up for some of the better 
jokes including another one of Al’s great laidback threats.

	The plot is straight forward with no side story to speak of.  Not even one of those great 
moments of Bud helping Kelly with her homework, (where she learns more about classic television 
then her studies) or even a problem that Steve or Marcy is facing.  Just a great story that 
goes from beginning to end.  Later seasons were mired with the side plots, and they normally 
focused on Bud and Kelly finding work or dating, and usually it was a drag on the show just to 
make full use of the other characters.  It’s not that Bud and Kelly weren’t good characters, 
we just shouldn’t always have to see a whole other story devoted to them which splits up the episode.  

Rating:  9 shoes out of 10.  It gets one shoe off for the underdeveloped scenes with Jim and Peg 
but a winner nonetheless and another entry into the top 10 list.


Quotable Quotes:

Steve:  "Wanna go see Mikado tonight?"
Al:  "Who’s he fightin'?"

(Entering the Bundy house)
Marcy:  (feigning surprise) "Jim Jupiter!  Honey look it’s Jim Jupiter!"  
Steve:  "Yeah, I bet he came in that van outside that says Jim Jupiter!"
Marcy:  "Shut Up."

Jim (introducing himself to Bud):  "Hi, Jim Jupiter, Healthiest man in Chicago."
Bud:  "Bud Bundy, studliest man on Earth."

Al:  (while laughing)  "A gymnast isn’t an athlete, a gymnast is like a... like a girl!"

Peg:  "I killed the healthiest man in Chicago!"
Al:  "You’ve been killing me for years, and you don’t seem to care."
Peg:  "Ah, but your different, you’ve been dead for years."

Kelly:  "If I have to eat any more of this Wheat “Gurm” I’m going to riot!"

Kelly:  "But how will we get our vitamins and rocks?"
Bud:  "Minerals, Kel."
Kelly:  "Yeah!"


*** By the way, this review was constructed from memory of the show, I apologize if some of 
the quotes are a little off, when I get the chance to see the episode again, I may be able to correct 
some of what might be wrong.