On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Three of Rhoda!
RHODA: SEASON THREE
1976-1977
24 episodes
Season three has a little bit of TV history as the writers decided to split up Rhoda and Joe and make Rhoda TV's first divorced lead on a sitcom. I'm not going to pretend the show was firing on all cylinders before Rhoda and Joe split up but the reality is, the show takes a turn for the worse after the divorce. That being said, season three has some highlights because the divorce storyline itself is without question the most interesting the Rhoda and Joe relationship ever was. It features some strong performances from Valerie Harper and David Groh. It's too bad they couldn't find a way to make the marriage compelling without splitting them up.
Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard (24 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
Ron Silver as Gary Levy (13 episodes)
David Groh as Joe Gerard (9 episodes)
Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (2 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (1 episode)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (19 episodes)
Anne Meara as Sally Gallagher (7 episodes)
Michael DeLano as Johnny Venture (3 episodes)
Richard Masur as Nick Lobo (3 episodes)
Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards (1 episode)
Beverly Sanders as Susan Alborn (1 episode)
50. The Separation (9/20/76)
After a fight and Joe's questioning of their marriage, Rhoda and Joe decide to separate.
When I was a kid watching this on Nick at Nite, this episode was devastating. I couldn't believe Rhoda and Joe would separate. Watching it as an adult, I understand how the marriage wasn't working on the show yet I also know the show didn't get better after the Gerards divorced. That being said, many of the episodes related to the divorce are pretty strong episodes in and of themselves even if I don't like where they lead. It's also sad that this is the one and only episode with Nancy Walker this season as she headed out to star in the short-lived The Nancy Walker Show followed by the equally short lived Blansky's Beauties. In her one episode though, she is great of course. I also think Valerie Harper and David Groh did a really nice job with a difficult episode and subject matter. Maybe if the writers trusted Groh more as an actor like they do in this episode, they wouldn't have had to do this. Finally, season three has my favorite version of the theme song.
RATING: 8/10
51. Together Again for the First Time (9/27/76)
Rhoda and Joe see each other again for the first time since the separation when Rhoda visits him at his apartment.
Rhoda and Joe's first meet-up since their separation is predictably awkward and makes us as audience members feel a little awkward too, but I think that's the point. It also is interesting that the last two episodes feel like it has centered more on their relationship than it ever did during their year and a half of marriage on the show. There has been very few extraneous side characters (though more are coming) and it's a little bit refreshing in that way. Valerie Harper and David Groh are again strong in this episode. It's amazing how honest and real they can portray the marriage once they are broken up.
RATING: 7.5/10
1976-1977
24 episodes
Season three has a little bit of TV history as the writers decided to split up Rhoda and Joe and make Rhoda TV's first divorced lead on a sitcom. I'm not going to pretend the show was firing on all cylinders before Rhoda and Joe split up but the reality is, the show takes a turn for the worse after the divorce. That being said, season three has some highlights because the divorce storyline itself is without question the most interesting the Rhoda and Joe relationship ever was. It features some strong performances from Valerie Harper and David Groh. It's too bad they couldn't find a way to make the marriage compelling without splitting them up.
Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard (24 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
Ron Silver as Gary Levy (13 episodes)
David Groh as Joe Gerard (9 episodes)
Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (2 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (1 episode)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (19 episodes)
Anne Meara as Sally Gallagher (7 episodes)
Michael DeLano as Johnny Venture (3 episodes)
Richard Masur as Nick Lobo (3 episodes)
Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards (1 episode)
Beverly Sanders as Susan Alborn (1 episode)
After a fight and Joe's questioning of their marriage, Rhoda and Joe decide to separate.
When I was a kid watching this on Nick at Nite, this episode was devastating. I couldn't believe Rhoda and Joe would separate. Watching it as an adult, I understand how the marriage wasn't working on the show yet I also know the show didn't get better after the Gerards divorced. That being said, many of the episodes related to the divorce are pretty strong episodes in and of themselves even if I don't like where they lead. It's also sad that this is the one and only episode with Nancy Walker this season as she headed out to star in the short-lived The Nancy Walker Show followed by the equally short lived Blansky's Beauties. In her one episode though, she is great of course. I also think Valerie Harper and David Groh did a really nice job with a difficult episode and subject matter. Maybe if the writers trusted Groh more as an actor like they do in this episode, they wouldn't have had to do this. Finally, season three has my favorite version of the theme song.
RATING: 8/10
51. Together Again for the First Time (9/27/76)
Rhoda and Joe see each other again for the first time since the separation when Rhoda visits him at his apartment.
Rhoda and Joe's first meet-up since their separation is predictably awkward and makes us as audience members feel a little awkward too, but I think that's the point. It also is interesting that the last two episodes feel like it has centered more on their relationship than it ever did during their year and a half of marriage on the show. There has been very few extraneous side characters (though more are coming) and it's a little bit refreshing in that way. Valerie Harper and David Groh are again strong in this episode. It's amazing how honest and real they can portray the marriage once they are broken up.
RATING: 7.5/10
52. No Big Deal (10/4/76)
Rhoda is worried about keeping up with the rent on her apartment at the same time she and Brenda meet a weird new neighbor named Gary.
After a couple strong episodes related to the divorce, we now meet Gary Levy and Rhoda begins its descent into increasingly bad supporting characters. I will try not to hammer home too often how much I can't stand Gary. Ron Silver's character is super obnoxious in every way and he's more prominent than the other obnoxious characters on the show (Nick Lobo, Myrna, etc). When Gary's not in the episode, there are some sweet moments between Rhoda and Joe, especially as they finish packing up their apartment. I will admit the reveal of Gary's new apartment is a good moment.
RATING: 4/10
53. I Won't Dance (10/11/76)
Frustrated with Joe, Rhoda decides to go away for the weekend on a singles retreat with Brenda.
Rhoda starts to venture back into a single life for the title character and we meet another new recurring character, Sally, in this episode. Anne Meara (Jerry Stiller's wife and Ben Stiller's mom) is not the worst new addition. She has an easy rapport with Rhoda and a funny and sarcastic delivery. She's far less obnoxious than many other supporting characters. It does seem a little too obvious though that they brought her in to fill the Ida void and if that's the comparison, she doesn't look as good. The problem with this episode is very little happens. The concept is okay, but the execution just feels lackluster.
RATING: 3.5/10
Nick Lobo returns and tries to set up Rhoda with a friend of his, Vegas singer Johnny Venture.
Nick Lobo is back and there are a couple funny moments (Brenda hugging him with his accordion on and Brenda brushing her hair while Nick plays on her bed). But any episode with Nick Lobo in a prominent role is only going to be so good. There's a couple firsts in this episode. We get to see Rhoda's new apartment, one that seems much more placed in the 70s than the previous one. The new apartment really isn't that bad, but it makes me sad and represents the era of Rhoda I don't like as much. We also get to meet Johnny Venture, another pretty obnoxious side character (though his rendition of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" with Rhoda talking is pretty funny). We also get to see Carlton from the back. I wonder if that was actually Lorenzo Music? I'm guessing it was.
RATING: 5/10
55. Two Little Words: Marriage Counselor (10/25/76)
At Rhoda's insistence, Rhoda and Joe decide to see a marriage counselor.
This is a really fascinating episode and one of the more serious ones in the divorce storyline. I always have wondered if the writers knew from the beginning of the season that they were going to end with Rhoda and Joe divorcing or if they were trying some things out with the possibility of bringing them back together. Rene Auberjonois is great as the marriage counselor and this episode has some funny moments but also some poignant moments. It even manages to do that in the same exact moment when Joe reminds Rhoda that he never wanted to be married in the first place. This is a really strong and well-done episode because they devote so much time to the actual counseling session.
RATING: 9.5/10
56. An Elephant Never Forgets (11/1/76)
Brenda has lost a lot of weight and gets a date with a guy in the building who ignored her a year before.
Now that Rhoda is down on her luck, the writers were able to take advantage of Julie Kavner's weight loss and let Brenda take a turn as the one who has it all together (in her own Brenda way). There are some funny moments with Rhoda on the scale at the weight loss group, but this is really Brenda's episode and it's great to see Brenda not back down and do something that Brenda of season one or two would do. She's a character who actually evolves in this series compared to Rhoda, who sometimes seems like she's regressed from her Mary Tyler Moore days. Julie Kavner is very strong in the date scene. She has some funny and some very poignant moments.
RATING: 8/10
Rhoda worries that she is in a rut after Joe calls her dull so she impulsively decides to fly to Paris.
This episode is a little bit frustrating because it's all about the anticipation of a trip without us seeing the trip or really getting much pay off based on the trip. There's a way this could be done creatively (and I surely wouldn't expect an MTM show to be filming on location in Paris, that was not their style) but it feels like it just sort of spins its wheels. It does finally have a sweet moment with Joe at the end and a funny sight gag with Rhoda and a little old lady. This is a real issue for someone trying to find their way and there's a lot of story and comedy to be mined here. I just don't think this episode effectively does that.
RATING: 5.5/10
58. Meet the Levys (11/15/76)
Gary needs someone to pose as his girlfriend for his parents and first enlists Brenda and then Rhoda.
Before she was Raymond's mother, a much younger Doris Roberts guest stars as Gary's mother. She hadn't fine-tuned the pestering mother role yet, but you can see glimpses of the iconic role she would perform about 20 years later. This is one of the better Gary episodes as he is forced to not be the obnoxious character he typically is on the show. While Ron Silver is more tolerable and has better comedic timing, a few gags just don't work. The old lady in the elevator bit is clearly a major attempt at a laugh but it falls flat even if the studio audience seems to love it. The show also seems to end a little abruptly as if they didn't have enough time to tell the whole story.
RATING: 5/10
59. Man of the Year (11/29/76)
Rhoda runs into Joe's friend, Charlie, at a bar and he ends up drunk and crashing at her apartment.
This episode has a very odd and different version of the theme song (at least on the DVD). I'm not sure why? Anyway, one would hope that a benefit of Joe being phased out would mean there's no reason for his obnoxious friend Charlie to appear. Well, wrong! Richard Schaal was still married to Valerie Harper so they still find a way to include him in a guest starring role. Ugh, I just can't Schaal. He plays drunk in this scene and it's so far over the top. It really shows blinders when it comes to someone connected by marriage. MTM shows were usually good about not over-acting but that's exactly what happens every time Schaal is on screen in any of them.
RATING: 1.5/10
Brenda finds herself in a serious relationship with a wealthy man who owns multiple hamburger franchises.
This is an interesting episode where the only regular or recurring characters appearing are Rhoda and Brenda (and Carlton). This is the next episode in the evolution of Brenda, who is continuing a pretty impressive character arc over the course of the series. Here we have her rejecting a man who the Brenda of two years ago would have absolutely married. But now she makes the difficult and grown-up decision to say no to a really serious relationship. Rhoda continues to be a little bit of a sad sack in this episode especially in her scene at the restaurant, but this is another standout episode for Julie Kavner.
RATING: 7/10
61. A Touch of Classy (12/20/76)
Sally's ex-husband visits and tries to get her to agree to let him cut down on his alimony money.
This episode guest stars Jerry Stiller (Anne Meara's real-life husband) as Sally's ex-husband. It's some inspired casting and Stiller has some great moments. His fight with Rhoda before Sally arrives is a great moment for both Stiller and Valerie Harper. This episode almost entirely deals with Meara and Stiller after that, but they are up to the task with an easy chemistry with each other (as I would expect them to have!) That being said, it hardly feels like a Rhoda episode with such limited appearances from main cast members. After all, this is only Meara's fifth episode. So, it's a decently done episode but a little bit odd.
RATING: 6/10
62. Guess Who I Saw Today? (12/27/76)
While at a party at Rick's, Rhoda sees Joe with another woman.
This is a good episode and development in the Rhoda and Joe story, but it takes an awful long time to get to the meat of the episode. I feel like the scene in the apartment with Rhoda, Brenda, Gary Sally and Rick goes on way too long for merely setting up a scene for the main arc of the story to take place. Once it settles into the main plot, it's actually a really good and occasionally heartbreaking episode. The scene between Valerie Harper and David Groh is really captivating and honest. They do a great job as they sort through another issue in their separation and this is perhaps the first time that the audience can start to see Rhoda moving on in addition to Joe.
RATING: 7.5/10
Rhoda doesn't have any plans for New Year's Eve until she finds out Joe does so she decides to throw a party.
This is the second and final Rhoda episode to deal with a holiday and it's a rare holiday celebrated on sitcoms - New Year's Eve. Whereas Rhoda took a step forward in independence in the previous episode, this one seems like a little bit of a step back as she decides to host the party only because she knows Joe has plans. This seems to be trying to capture the magic of The Bob Newhart Show's Thanksgiving episode where they all get drunk, but it's not nearly as classic here. Part of the problem is the only two characters I really care about at this party are Rhoda and Brenda and neither Valerie Harper or Julie Kavner plays a great drunk. We do get a couple fun Carlton moments towards the end though.
RATING: 4/10
64. Love for Sale (1/10/77)
Rhoda and Brenda help Gary with a sale at his store and it leads to a kiss between Gary and Brenda.
This is an interesting storyline the writers decided to follow for a bit with a blossoming romance between Brenda and Gary. But they didn't really do much to lead up to this event in the series so it felt a little bit out of nowhere. They certainly could have done more to make this seem less out of the blue. It also doesn't make for a very interesting episode after they leave the store. Despite some decent and honest performances between Julie Kavner and Ron Silver, it just wasn't a storyline I needed or wanted. I will say that I enjoyed Rhoda's oblivion as Brenda and Gary were being less than discreet.
RATING: 4.5/10
65. A Night in the Emergency Room (1/16/77)
Nick Lobo tries to become better friends with Rhoda but ends up dropping an accordion on her foot and sending her to the emergency room.
Another Nick Lobo episode... sigh. The writers must have found Nick Lobo super funny to write for but I just don't. I would love to know how other Rhoda fans feel about this character. Rhoda heading to an emergency room is ripe for comedy and there were some hints at how it could be in her interactions with the doctors and nurses. But instead of really being a show about Rhoda's trip to the emergency room, it's more of a story about Nick and Brenda's relationship and that makes it not nearly as enjoyable.
RATING: 4/10
After being mistakenly arrested for soliciting, Rhoda insists on getting an apology for what happened.
This is a fun episode that finally centers almost completely on Rhoda. Valerie Harper has some great moments in this episode, both when she is getting arrested and when she arrives at the cop's apartment to demand an apology. It's a good chance for Valerie Harper to shine when she's been relegated to being a side character in her own show or part of a duo in a main plot too often. The unfortunate part of this episode is it introduces Benny, who becomes another irritating main character in the later years of Rhoda. He's off to an obnoxious start here and I don't think it was always the plan for him to become a main character. I wonder what the creative team saw here that made them want to bring him on board more?
RATING: 7.5/10
67. The Ultimatum (1/30/77)
After discovering that Joe hasn't been going to counseling anymore, Rhoda decides to give him an ultimatum regarding their marriage.
The end of the Rhoda and Joe saga. There's a lot of good things that are a part of David Groh's final episode. Even the subplot of Rhoda's therapist falling in love with her plays pretty funny thanks to a strong return performance from Rene Auberjonois. There's also some real moments of sentimentality (though not as much as some other separation episodes) and a great cameo by Mary Tyler Moore at the end of the episode (also her final appearance on Rhoda). Watching their scene together makes me wish they had found a best friend for Rhoda on her show. It's not the same dynamic with Brenda and it shouldn't be since they're sisters. The show really needed a Mary-type best friend for Rhoda I think.
RATING: 8/10
68. Rhoda's Mystery Man (2/6/77)
Rhoda receives fancy gifts from a mystery man and then goes with Brenda and Gary in a limo to meet the mystery man, Johnny Venture.
Johnny Venture returns here and he's a little more palatable than he was in his first appearance earlier this season. That being said, the better part of this episode happens before we actually get the reveal that it's Johnny Venture. The mystery of the mystery man and the limo ride are pretty fun (and the limo ride has a very rare MTM show occurrence - the playing of a contemporary song). Once the mystery man is revealed to be Johnny Venture, the show stagnates a little bit even if he does win the audience over a little bit more (and Rhoda too, for that matter).
RATING: 6/10
Nick Lobo is in a deep depression when he decides he may have to give up his career in show business.
The final Nick Lobo episode... thank goodness. This one goes pretty hard on the Nick Lobo story as he is a focal point throughout the episode and I once again fail to see why the writers and creators thought he was a funny character. He's just such a terrible character because MTM characters were always rooted in realism and he is such a gimmicky, fake character. The best (only?) good part of this episode was Rhoda and Brenda trying to get Nick Lobo and his apartment into a presentable condition while he drunkenly rambles. Or maybe the best part of this episode is that it's the end of the Nick Lobo story.
RATING: 3/10
70. Nose Job (2/20/77)
After a conversation with Benny, Brenda considers getting a nose job.
Did the show change its name to Brenda and I missed it? Julie Kavner is great, but there are just so many episodes where Rhoda feels like a supporting character to a storyline involving Brenda or a character connected to Brenda. This is the second episode with Benny and I forgot, until I re-watched these episodes, how obnoxious he is. It's going to be tough to get through the last season and a half with him. I think I actually prefer Gary to Benny. As an episode, it's fine, but pretty predictable and Julie Kavner has had better showcase episodes than this one.
RATING: 4.5/10
71. The Second Time Around (2/27/77)
Rhoda and Brenda go out with Brenda's boss and Rhoda feels nervous when she finds herself possibly interested in him.
This is a little bit of a milestone episode as it's the first time Rhoda knowingly goes on a date post-Joe (I don't think she would count the Johnny Venture event). Valerie Harper does a good job in this episode especially in her very real and honest discussion on the date about why she wasn't ready to date again. I think Rhoda needed to have an episode like this to nudge Rhoda back into the dating world, which they were so clearly hoping to get to. I'm glad they took the time to do an episode like this. There was a funny sight gag at the end of her "date" as well.
RATING: 7.5/10
72. Pajama Party Bingo (3/6/77)
Rhoda hosts a pajama party with Susie, but ends up fighting with Brenda.
Boy, Brenda is a real drag in this episode. Maybe I'm seeing this episode through the lens of being the oldest sibling, but I am definitely Team Rhoda in this episode. Brenda can't seem to take a joke throughout the episode and even messes up Rhoda and Susie's lame phone call jokes. Speaking of which, while Brenda is clearly at fault, I do think this is the nerdiest we ever see the typically hip Rhoda. Maybe that's to be expected when she's with an old high school friend though. There is a funny side story about Carlton getting on the wagon and a very different sounding (and acting) doorman.
RATING: 5/10
After an invitation with Johnny Venture, Rhoda and Brenda decide on a whim to fly to Las Vegas for the weekend.
Rhoda heads to Vegas for the fourth season finale and this is a pretty unusual thing for an MTM show to do (though I doubt anything was filmed on location other than exterior shots). We have another Johnny Venture episode although he's in his natural element here as a Vegas performer. That being said, there is definitely too much of this episode devoted to the Vegas act (it got better when Rhoda and Brenda were forced to come on stage). I just don't really understand where they were going with this episode aside from getting Johnny is his Vegas element. I don't know why they repeatedly came back to pushing a potential Rhoda-Johnny romance.
RATING: 5/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON THREE:
5.7/10
The Best Episodes
1. "Two Little Words: Marriage Counselor" (#55) - 9.5/10
2. "The Separation" (#50) - 8/10
3. "The Ultimatum" (#67) - 8/10
4. "An Elephant Never Forgets" (#56) - 8/10
5. "Together Again for the First Time" (#51) - 7.5/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Man of the Year" (#59) - 1.5/10
2. "Nick Lobo, Superstar" (#69) - 3/10
3. "I Won't Dance" (#53) - 3.5/10
4. "No Big Deal" (#52) - 4/10
5. "A Night in the Emergency Room" (#65) - 4/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week!
Next Thursday: A look at the fourth season of Rhoda!
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