Whenever I see this episode, it always makes me laugh no matter what mood that I am in. In this episode, Al has another get rich scheme to have his own 976 line about shoe advice. "Dr. Shoe, I Don't know what to do?" the actress says in the commercial. Al needs to get a loan so he asks Steve who is in competition at the bank for a trip to two to Hawaii which he really wants so much that he willing to sacrifice another bad loan. When Al's commercial airs, nobody calls and Steve becomes catatonic and in a terrible nightmare. He has to face Marcy who takes over and offers to pay the bad loan with her bank loan. She has good credit and can handle a bad loan. It's the beginning of the end of Steve's run on the series but it's been a good one.
4 Reviews
Another classic
gridoon202420 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Now that I'm re-watching the series in chronological order, I just found out that this is the specific episode that contains two of the most memorable moments of the entire series for me: Al's response to Peggy's question "How was your day, Al?" ("Well, I came home, so how good could it have been?"), and the ending, where Peggy, Bud and Kelly take turns naming professions that pay more than Al's job ("Street mime!" "Professional mini-golfer!" "Qualified teacher!"). The rest of the episode is funny as well ("there's nobody who knows more about RGNE than Doctor RGNE"), and there is even some plot development(!), as Steve loses his job, an event that was followed upon in upcoming episodes. *** out of 4.
Alf Bundy, the furry creature (vhs) (dvd)
leplatypus22 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The start of this 4th season is a bit slow: gone the hysteric fun, the sets and the money content. It's almost focused on food, dinner and Peggy. It's not until the dentist (4.4) and the Playboy (4.7) episodes that I found really great fun. Amazingly, the best babe is in the latter. Then, the season is hit by a drama: our beloved neighbor Steve Rhoades quits his wife Marcie and I miss him big. Worse, Marcie character becomes totally crazy and a relationship with Bud is on the way (4.20; 4.22). Indeed, this season is more focused about the kids because this season is really the one when Kelly lost her wit as well as her clothes. But she had great episodes about her, as a rock slut or a rain girl (4.15, 4.21). If Peggy goes on numbing me (like Al, thus), Al stays this fascinating and touching character for me: he has nothing, his family abuses him, but he never becomes violent and never give up: a bit like Mr Bean, his will loses himself in crazy plans and it's tragic and a bit sad to see him running to stand still. His car purchase (4.9), his leak problem (4.13) or his bowl record (4.19) are totally hysteric. The two parts of Christmas Carol is also good with the first being more funny than the second. If i should keep only one, i go for "Dr. Shoes" (4.8), a sort of Ghostbusters for shoes with absolute amazing commercials!!
I wouldn't want to be in Steve's shoes.
BA_Harrison8 November 2022
In a last-ditch attempt to win a free trip to Hawaii, Steve approves a loan for Al to the tune of $50k so that he can fund a hare-brained money-making scheme: 555-SHOE, a toll line for shoe emergencies. Unsurprisingly, the enterprise is a total flop ("How many calls have you had?""None today. Tomorrow, twice as many."). As a result, Steve looks as though he will lose his job, until Marcy steps in to approve a loan to cover Steve's loan. Al uses the second $50K loan to continue with his business and loses that money as well.
By the end of the episode, Al has had to extend his mortgage by one hundred years, Steve has lost his job, and Marcy has been demoted. But it's not all doom and gloom, for the viewer at least: this one is mighty funny, with Al's ridiculous TV ads being the comedic highlights, while Kelly wears one of her tightest and shortest red dresses to her father's court case.
By the end of the episode, Al has had to extend his mortgage by one hundred years, Steve has lost his job, and Marcy has been demoted. But it's not all doom and gloom, for the viewer at least: this one is mighty funny, with Al's ridiculous TV ads being the comedic highlights, while Kelly wears one of her tightest and shortest red dresses to her father's court case.
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