The decision to omit Fred & Cora and replace them with new cast members, Remo & Jeanie Da Vinci (and Mindy's cousin Nelson), and up Mr Bickley's role was plain wrong on the part of the Network. But one not felt until the third episode of the season. Mork in Wonderland 1/2 explained their departure, but due to the displaced nature of the two part storyline it didn't really hit.
Here it does, with the music shop gone and the Da Vinci's Deli the new out of house meet up joint, brother and sister's bickering taking the place of mother and son-in law. And it's jarring. It deprives the viewers of characters they loved (proving the insight of network executives in these matters is nil) and Fred especially is a huge hole. He and Cora were Mindy's only two sources to go to about Mork, as the only two (outside Exidor) who knew what he was, and now she's cut adrift to handle this on her own. But Fred's antipathy towards their relationship (even while actually liking Mork) added a welcome note of discord and realism to Mork's presence.
The new (and expanded) cast members are not at fault however, as Tom Poston (so funny in his own right), Gina Hecht (as Jeanie) and Jay Thomas (Remo) all add to the vibrancy of the show, and are used well in this 'secondary start' to the season back in the real world.
Jeanie & Remo's argument on Mork's first meeting them, and Remo and Mr Bickley's advice about fights keeping a relationship fresh gives Mork the entirely wrong idea about how to keep his Mindy's relationship exciting, after reading about the divorce statistics.
What follows is just a total classic scene from the show.
Without realizing the necessity for having to actually be angry about something, he barges in in uber macho mode and destroys the intimate dinner she had planned for them, before taking hurtful pot shots at her. All done in the hope of being able to kiss and make up, and not taking into account Mindy's reciprocal and righteous fury.
Williams worked with Dawber to retool the weak comebacks the writers initially had (trying to keep Mindy 'nice') for her to make them more realistic, and it pays off in spades, with those suspenders of his deployed to painful effect before she flings him out of the house, leaving him in a panic. After all those scenes with Mindy silently simmering and/or being tolerant, it must've been something of a relief/fun to have a full on knock down drag out fight, where she unleashes her frustrations. It's wonderfully paced and acted (as all of their (rare) subsequent fights were), and the leads chemistry and timing with each other shines again.
It also allows for exactly what the actors (especially) were going for, a more realistic tone to the relationship.
Mork has to evolve and learn, he can't stay the innocent forever, and the relationship evolves along with it. Up until this point the characters kissed frequently at least 6 times in S1 alone, and while sweetly set up, they do not kiss the way friends/besties do. Trying to keep that up while having them (well Mindy) insist they were only friends, wasn't sustainable, and this "kiss and make up to shut you up" resolution, is both realistic, and marks the last time the characters kiss for more than a full season (in S3's Mork the Prankster), contrary to the erroneous idea that they kissed more often.
From this point on the romance became less physically overt and by extension more adult, punctuated with moments of UST, emotional intimacy, jealousy/possessiveness and protectiveness, building towards their actual declaration at the end of S3.
The whole set up is also a good way to intro Remo & Jeanie and up Bickley's role in having them have input into both the argument and apology discussions.
You still miss Cora, Fred and the music store though.
Here it does, with the music shop gone and the Da Vinci's Deli the new out of house meet up joint, brother and sister's bickering taking the place of mother and son-in law. And it's jarring. It deprives the viewers of characters they loved (proving the insight of network executives in these matters is nil) and Fred especially is a huge hole. He and Cora were Mindy's only two sources to go to about Mork, as the only two (outside Exidor) who knew what he was, and now she's cut adrift to handle this on her own. But Fred's antipathy towards their relationship (even while actually liking Mork) added a welcome note of discord and realism to Mork's presence.
The new (and expanded) cast members are not at fault however, as Tom Poston (so funny in his own right), Gina Hecht (as Jeanie) and Jay Thomas (Remo) all add to the vibrancy of the show, and are used well in this 'secondary start' to the season back in the real world.
Jeanie & Remo's argument on Mork's first meeting them, and Remo and Mr Bickley's advice about fights keeping a relationship fresh gives Mork the entirely wrong idea about how to keep his Mindy's relationship exciting, after reading about the divorce statistics.
What follows is just a total classic scene from the show.
Without realizing the necessity for having to actually be angry about something, he barges in in uber macho mode and destroys the intimate dinner she had planned for them, before taking hurtful pot shots at her. All done in the hope of being able to kiss and make up, and not taking into account Mindy's reciprocal and righteous fury.
Williams worked with Dawber to retool the weak comebacks the writers initially had (trying to keep Mindy 'nice') for her to make them more realistic, and it pays off in spades, with those suspenders of his deployed to painful effect before she flings him out of the house, leaving him in a panic. After all those scenes with Mindy silently simmering and/or being tolerant, it must've been something of a relief/fun to have a full on knock down drag out fight, where she unleashes her frustrations. It's wonderfully paced and acted (as all of their (rare) subsequent fights were), and the leads chemistry and timing with each other shines again.
It also allows for exactly what the actors (especially) were going for, a more realistic tone to the relationship.
Mork has to evolve and learn, he can't stay the innocent forever, and the relationship evolves along with it. Up until this point the characters kissed frequently at least 6 times in S1 alone, and while sweetly set up, they do not kiss the way friends/besties do. Trying to keep that up while having them (well Mindy) insist they were only friends, wasn't sustainable, and this "kiss and make up to shut you up" resolution, is both realistic, and marks the last time the characters kiss for more than a full season (in S3's Mork the Prankster), contrary to the erroneous idea that they kissed more often.
From this point on the romance became less physically overt and by extension more adult, punctuated with moments of UST, emotional intimacy, jealousy/possessiveness and protectiveness, building towards their actual declaration at the end of S3.
The whole set up is also a good way to intro Remo & Jeanie and up Bickley's role in having them have input into both the argument and apology discussions.
You still miss Cora, Fred and the music store though.
