As Season 6 went along, Bern Nadette Stanis' character started to move into the background. Throughout the first five seasons, Thelma was always a prominent figure in the cast. In season 6, she was all too often in the shadow of new husband Keith. This episode, although it focuses more on Keith, ultimately sets Thelma up with some quality screen time. Curiously, Keith was never depicted as having a drinking problem prior to this episode. Florida conveniently doesn't appear in this episode. One can only imagine how she would have reacted to Keith's violent, drunken rage. Ben Powers did the part well. He was alternately funny and disturbing. Then, there was Thelma. She looked so pretty here. Then, Keith slapped her pretty face. Thelma lays it on the line, telling him that he has to choose between her and the bottle. Very emotional scene, especially when Thelma slaps Keith back. I've read that this episode wasn't shown until the series was in syndication. Interesting, because the last episode of the series, which was aired during the original broadcasts, makes a reference to Keith's drinking problem.
Review of The Evans' Dilemma
