After overhearing a conversation about a fixed horse race, Maggie and Jan clean up at the track. When Maggie overhears a second tip, the whole staff get it on it - unaware that Maggie has accidentally heard the wrong number.
This is the best episode of Season 2. This was also the first one filmed with the revamped cast. Louise Lasser is sporting the longer hairstyle which she only wore for two episodes before she ended up with that Joan Crawford QUEEN BEE (1955) 'do. Notice also that Cassie and Dot's hairstyles are closer to their Season 1 look. Cassie behaves more like her Season 1 self here as well. I hate that the writers basically neutered the character from the original incarnation.
This did not air until late February 1982 with only four episodes left in the season. ABC should have made this the season opener. The script does a good job of setting Maggie up as the newest waitress without making a big thing about it, but these scenes should have been played back in October. Nancy chastises Maggie for being late and mentions having "high hopes" for her but now Nancy just considers Maggie "one of.....THEM!". Maggie also presents Dot and Cassie with small gifts, thanking them for their kindness since she started working at Above the Top. The script also mentions Maggie's husband has been gone for a year and that they were married for 22 years. All of Maggie's quirks -- her obliviousness, her overthinking, her insecurities -- are on full display here. There is a lot of Mary Hartman in her.
Many fans dislike this season because of Louise Lasser and I'll admit she is an acquired taste, so if you aren't a fan you probably won't like this one as much as I do. I love the first scene at the racetrack where she annoys the ticket attendant and feels insulted by Joel Brooks' friendly race patron. "Hey babe, who do you like?". Maggie huffs "Not YOU!". Also funny is her "Take your hands off me" line when she hugs him after her horse wins.
It's great that the whole cast is involved in the plot here and there is no silly B-story shoehorned into the episode. The subplot concerns Dot and Cassie trying to agree on a vacation destination and it cleverly gets tied into the A-story.
The final scene at the racetrack has great comedic tension and it's delightful when they keep flipping back and forth between hope and defeat.
A personal favorite and a great showing for Lasser. As close to a Season 1 episode than any other.
SONGS: Sonny sings "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy".
This is the best episode of Season 2. This was also the first one filmed with the revamped cast. Louise Lasser is sporting the longer hairstyle which she only wore for two episodes before she ended up with that Joan Crawford QUEEN BEE (1955) 'do. Notice also that Cassie and Dot's hairstyles are closer to their Season 1 look. Cassie behaves more like her Season 1 self here as well. I hate that the writers basically neutered the character from the original incarnation.
This did not air until late February 1982 with only four episodes left in the season. ABC should have made this the season opener. The script does a good job of setting Maggie up as the newest waitress without making a big thing about it, but these scenes should have been played back in October. Nancy chastises Maggie for being late and mentions having "high hopes" for her but now Nancy just considers Maggie "one of.....THEM!". Maggie also presents Dot and Cassie with small gifts, thanking them for their kindness since she started working at Above the Top. The script also mentions Maggie's husband has been gone for a year and that they were married for 22 years. All of Maggie's quirks -- her obliviousness, her overthinking, her insecurities -- are on full display here. There is a lot of Mary Hartman in her.
Many fans dislike this season because of Louise Lasser and I'll admit she is an acquired taste, so if you aren't a fan you probably won't like this one as much as I do. I love the first scene at the racetrack where she annoys the ticket attendant and feels insulted by Joel Brooks' friendly race patron. "Hey babe, who do you like?". Maggie huffs "Not YOU!". Also funny is her "Take your hands off me" line when she hugs him after her horse wins.
It's great that the whole cast is involved in the plot here and there is no silly B-story shoehorned into the episode. The subplot concerns Dot and Cassie trying to agree on a vacation destination and it cleverly gets tied into the A-story.
The final scene at the racetrack has great comedic tension and it's delightful when they keep flipping back and forth between hope and defeat.
A personal favorite and a great showing for Lasser. As close to a Season 1 episode than any other.
SONGS: Sonny sings "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy".