"The Beard" casts veteran funny man Jim Backus as Harold Erickson, an old army buddy of Ed's who implores him to cover for his infidelities every Wednesday night. Harold's wife Doris (Audra Lindley) confronts Ed with her knowledge of her husband's prior offenses, of which this is no different, but Ed's attempted flattery backfires when she takes a shine to him. Now it's Harold's turn to suspect his wife of being unfaithful, while his mistress threatens to jump from her 16th floor window if he dares break it off with her. Things get sticky when Harold seeks to borrow Ed's gun to shoot his rival as a crime of passion! Two years away from her best known role as Helen Roper opposite Norman Fell on the hit comedy THREE'S COMPANY, Audra Lindley here appears in her normal hair style, without the familiar red wig she wore on the later series.