On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts. Here's a look at Season 4 (Part 1) of Perfect Strangers!
PERFECT STRANGERS: SEASON FOUR
1988-1989
22 episodes
Starring
Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous (22 episodes)
Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton (22 episodes)
Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (18 episodes)
Melanie Wilson as Jennifer Lyons (16 episodes)
Rebecca Arthur as Mary Anne Spencer (13 episodes)
1988-1989
22 episodes
The fourth season of Perfect Strangers is a pretty solid season as it benefits from the changes that were made for the third season. Despite all the characters only showing up some of the time besides the two leads, the cast starts to gel more as an ensemble. This season also leans more into the comedy after a couple sappy installments in season three. This season didn't grade out to be the highest for me but it was clear that Perfect Strangers was starting to really get into a groove of being more sure of the show it wanted to be.
Starring
Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous (22 episodes)
Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton (22 episodes)
Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (18 episodes)
Melanie Wilson as Jennifer Lyons (16 episodes)
Rebecca Arthur as Mary Anne Spencer (13 episodes)
Belita Moreno as Lydia (13 episodes)
53. Aliens (10/28/88)
After trying to get Balki to watch a horror movie marathon with him on Halloween, Larry dreams that Balki is an alien.
The first Halloween episode of the show has glorious 80s-era Halloween decorations both at the apartment and the office. Unfortunately, that is the most fun thing about this super silly and dumb episode. The over-acting from Mark Linn-Baker is really on a different level in this one with completely fake reactions. I know it's a dream sequence episode but look at the similarly themed but far superior "walnut" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. There's no need to be fake with intention or delivery even in a dream sequence. Bronson Pinchot does his best with the episode but the writing is also pretty dumb.
RATING: 2/10
54. Piano Movers (11/4/88)
Balki and Larry try to move a piano to Lydia's apartment for a party.
Years before the famous "pivot" episode of Friends, there was a very similar plot on Perfect Strangers but with a piano instead of a couch. It's also a riff on a famous Laurel and Hardy bit. What's interesting is by the time Friends came along, it was more and more common for sitcoms to have three stories per episode so "pivot" was a great story that everyone remembers but it was only 1/3 of that Friends episode. This is an entire episode devoted to moving a heavy object. The older sitcom concept with only one main plot has its pros (a good story can get much more in depth) but it also has its cons (a thin premise feels way too stretched out). Despite some funny moments and sight gags, I do think this episode falls more into the latter camp. But the episode still finds lots of humor.
RATING: 7.5/10
55. High Society (11/11/88)
Balki and Larry get invited to a swanky party held by the newspaper publisher after they think Balki is an heir to the Mypos throne.
"Common people" going to a swanky party is certainly a classic sitcom trope so it's no surprise that Perfect Strangers utilizes it. This episode does find some good comedy. Both this episode and the previous one make Balki and Larry seem like a male version of Lucy and Ethel or Laverne and Shirley. The two actors, even with Mark Linn-Baker's questionable acting choices at times, seem more comfortable doing comedy with each other this season and that's a good thing. I do think some of that is due to Linn-Baker who has generally been less annoying this season.
RATING: 7/10
56. Up a Lazy River Part 1 (11/18/88)
Larry and Balki invite Jennifer and Mary Anne on a company camping trip.
This two part episode starts with a bit that I think the show found really funny but I find that it falls flat. The bit with Larry and Balki sharing a sleeping bag could be funny in theory but it just goes on too long and doesn't fully commit to the bit. Once we get to the actual camping trip, we get some real bad filming but hey, it was the 80s, I can't ding it too much for that. But boy is it bad in other ways too. I think it tried to be a little too dramatic, this was a silly 80s comedy. Do we really need an episode that has a cliffhanger of them almost dying while on a river?
RATING: 3/10
57. Up a Lazy River Part 2 (11/25/88)
After an accident while on a river, Larry, Balki, Jennifer and Mary Anne end up lost.
This two part episode certainly seems to be in response to the avalanche episodes from season three, which was apparently a popular entry. The plot is pretty similar and it's actually referenced several times. It also settles into the same jokes and plot as the avalanche episode, the weather is just better but Larry is still wildly confident and wildly incompetent. I know that's sort of the plot of many Perfect Strangers episodes but it feels particularly redundant because it's a two part episode featuring these four characters battling with nature. I do think this is stronger than part one though.
RATING: 4.5/10
58. College Bound (12/9/88)
While they wait to see if Balki got into college, the gang reminisces about Balki and Larry's adventures.
This is a clip show with some pretty standard sitcom dialogue surrounding each clip. As a rule, I do not give ratings for clip shows though the reason for this clip show is interesting. Bronson Pinchot developed an ear infection after getting water in his ear for the previous episode and they had to pivot and do a clip show instead of a regular episode.
59. The Gift of the Mypiot (12/16/88)
Balki invites a lonely Mr. Gorpley to Christmas Eve despite Larry's objection.
Raise your hand if you have a guess about how an 80s Christmas sitcom episode is going to end when the plot is about inviting someone who seems to be a jerk. Anyway, I'm a sucker for Christmas episodes and pretty forgiving of contrived plots for those kind of episodes though boy does it get sappy at the end to a sickly point. There are some funny moments when the whole party is trying to decide whether or not to let Mr. Gorpley in. I do think it's interesting that Harriet Winslow is spending Christmas Eve with Balki and Larry and her work family. What about her real family we later meet on Family Matters? Obviously that show had not been dreamed up yet.
RATING: 7/10
60. Maid to Order (1/6/89)
When Larry decides they need to get a housekeeper, Balki finds one who will work for a very low price.
Hiring a maid is typically a sitcom plot for one about a family or a couple and not two roommates but I'm not going to judge this plot too much. After all, I did hire a housekeeper once in awhile when I was single. This episode benefits from the great Doris Roberts, who shines as Mrs. Bailey, the maid and mother figure to Balki. She was nominated for an Emmy for Guest Actress for this performance. Roberts and Bronson Pinchot have a wonderful chemistry together and some funny moments and once again, Larry comes off as a jerk for a lot of the episode although he does redeem himself and gets off a funny line about not usually being the one right, which is very true. I found myself wishing Roberts had become a recurring character rather than a one-off guest star.
RATING: 9/10
61. That Old Gang of Mine (1/13/89)
Mary Anne moves to London and Balki joins a motorcycle gang to take his mind off of her.
This was a pretty abrupt plot point of Mary Anne moving to London since there was no indication in previous episodes and of course it doesn't last long. The whole episode feels pretty dumb because it's tied to Balki joining a motorcycle gang and the completely unrealistic (and dumb) reveal of Balki coming into the office on a motorcycle. Even silly sitcoms like Perfect Strangers need to root their characters in reality and Balki, from everything we've known about him through three and a half seasons, would not be one to join a motorcycle gang. So the entire premise doesn't work and the motorcycle gang is just silly and trying to get cheap laughs. We should have been well past the point of this type of depiction in 1989. Not that I feel bad for motorcycle gangs but this just all feels so dumb.
RATING: 1.5/10
62. Crimebusters (1/20/89)
Larry gets promoted to an investigative reporter at the newspaper and tries to break a story with inside knowledge from Harriet's husband.
This episode marks the debut of Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow, Harriet's on-screen husband who of course became the patriarch in spinoff Family Matters (ironically, the expression "family matters" is used by Harriet in the episode). It's easy to see why they wanted to spin off Carl and Harriet as VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton have an easy and funny chemistry. VelJohnson is pretty instrumental to the episode in general and he brings a great energy to the show. The scene with him in Larry and Balki's apartment moves along nicely (with some funny moments from Bronson Pinchot too). The episode does spend too long with Balki and Larry's argument about keeping a secret though. Still a strong entry with a nice twist.
RATING: 9/10
Sam Anderson as Sam Gorpley (8 episodes)
F.J. O'Neil as Mr. Wainwright (4 episodes)
51. The Lottery (10/14/88)
Despite Larry's objections, Balki decides to play the lottery.
While Season Three started with somewhat of a revamp, Season Four pretty much picks up where things left off and feels more like just another episode. It does include the line "in your face, Donald Trump!" which takes on a whole different meaning now compared to 1988. It's a new season but Larry remains pretty irritating. Balki puts him in his place temporarily but his kindness gives in. And without seeing the numbers on the lottery ticket, it certainly sounds like Larry's mistake. But maybe that's just my anti-Larry bias showing. At the end of the episode, Larry once again seems like he learns his lesson but he doesn't. It's just frustrating to see 50s-style characterization in an 80s show, even one that isn't trying to be too bold or different.
RATING: 6/10
52. Assertive Training (10/21/88)
After feeling like they are push-overs, Larry and Balki decide to take a training to be more assertive.
A common problem that sitcoms have to this day is setting up a plot without paying attention to the characters. For example, we see a couple examples early on of Balki and Larry being pushovers. That jives with Balki's character but it doesn't really with Larry's character. We've seen him be mostly headstrong throughout the series so this doesn't feel all that real. However, this episode picks up big time when it turns into Balki's attempts to be more assertive with some very funny moments from Bronson Pinchot. I'm also glad this episode didn't try to be a "very special" one about Mr. Gorpley's prejudice against Balki. They went the comedic route and I was relieved.
RATING: 8/10
Despite Larry's objections, Balki decides to play the lottery.
While Season Three started with somewhat of a revamp, Season Four pretty much picks up where things left off and feels more like just another episode. It does include the line "in your face, Donald Trump!" which takes on a whole different meaning now compared to 1988. It's a new season but Larry remains pretty irritating. Balki puts him in his place temporarily but his kindness gives in. And without seeing the numbers on the lottery ticket, it certainly sounds like Larry's mistake. But maybe that's just my anti-Larry bias showing. At the end of the episode, Larry once again seems like he learns his lesson but he doesn't. It's just frustrating to see 50s-style characterization in an 80s show, even one that isn't trying to be too bold or different.
RATING: 6/10
52. Assertive Training (10/21/88)
After feeling like they are push-overs, Larry and Balki decide to take a training to be more assertive.
A common problem that sitcoms have to this day is setting up a plot without paying attention to the characters. For example, we see a couple examples early on of Balki and Larry being pushovers. That jives with Balki's character but it doesn't really with Larry's character. We've seen him be mostly headstrong throughout the series so this doesn't feel all that real. However, this episode picks up big time when it turns into Balki's attempts to be more assertive with some very funny moments from Bronson Pinchot. I'm also glad this episode didn't try to be a "very special" one about Mr. Gorpley's prejudice against Balki. They went the comedic route and I was relieved.
RATING: 8/10
53. Aliens (10/28/88)
After trying to get Balki to watch a horror movie marathon with him on Halloween, Larry dreams that Balki is an alien.
The first Halloween episode of the show has glorious 80s-era Halloween decorations both at the apartment and the office. Unfortunately, that is the most fun thing about this super silly and dumb episode. The over-acting from Mark Linn-Baker is really on a different level in this one with completely fake reactions. I know it's a dream sequence episode but look at the similarly themed but far superior "walnut" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. There's no need to be fake with intention or delivery even in a dream sequence. Bronson Pinchot does his best with the episode but the writing is also pretty dumb.
RATING: 2/10
Balki and Larry try to move a piano to Lydia's apartment for a party.
Years before the famous "pivot" episode of Friends, there was a very similar plot on Perfect Strangers but with a piano instead of a couch. It's also a riff on a famous Laurel and Hardy bit. What's interesting is by the time Friends came along, it was more and more common for sitcoms to have three stories per episode so "pivot" was a great story that everyone remembers but it was only 1/3 of that Friends episode. This is an entire episode devoted to moving a heavy object. The older sitcom concept with only one main plot has its pros (a good story can get much more in depth) but it also has its cons (a thin premise feels way too stretched out). Despite some funny moments and sight gags, I do think this episode falls more into the latter camp. But the episode still finds lots of humor.
RATING: 7.5/10
55. High Society (11/11/88)
Balki and Larry get invited to a swanky party held by the newspaper publisher after they think Balki is an heir to the Mypos throne.
"Common people" going to a swanky party is certainly a classic sitcom trope so it's no surprise that Perfect Strangers utilizes it. This episode does find some good comedy. Both this episode and the previous one make Balki and Larry seem like a male version of Lucy and Ethel or Laverne and Shirley. The two actors, even with Mark Linn-Baker's questionable acting choices at times, seem more comfortable doing comedy with each other this season and that's a good thing. I do think some of that is due to Linn-Baker who has generally been less annoying this season.
RATING: 7/10
56. Up a Lazy River Part 1 (11/18/88)
Larry and Balki invite Jennifer and Mary Anne on a company camping trip.
This two part episode starts with a bit that I think the show found really funny but I find that it falls flat. The bit with Larry and Balki sharing a sleeping bag could be funny in theory but it just goes on too long and doesn't fully commit to the bit. Once we get to the actual camping trip, we get some real bad filming but hey, it was the 80s, I can't ding it too much for that. But boy is it bad in other ways too. I think it tried to be a little too dramatic, this was a silly 80s comedy. Do we really need an episode that has a cliffhanger of them almost dying while on a river?
RATING: 3/10
After an accident while on a river, Larry, Balki, Jennifer and Mary Anne end up lost.
This two part episode certainly seems to be in response to the avalanche episodes from season three, which was apparently a popular entry. The plot is pretty similar and it's actually referenced several times. It also settles into the same jokes and plot as the avalanche episode, the weather is just better but Larry is still wildly confident and wildly incompetent. I know that's sort of the plot of many Perfect Strangers episodes but it feels particularly redundant because it's a two part episode featuring these four characters battling with nature. I do think this is stronger than part one though.
RATING: 4.5/10
58. College Bound (12/9/88)
While they wait to see if Balki got into college, the gang reminisces about Balki and Larry's adventures.
This is a clip show with some pretty standard sitcom dialogue surrounding each clip. As a rule, I do not give ratings for clip shows though the reason for this clip show is interesting. Bronson Pinchot developed an ear infection after getting water in his ear for the previous episode and they had to pivot and do a clip show instead of a regular episode.
59. The Gift of the Mypiot (12/16/88)
Balki invites a lonely Mr. Gorpley to Christmas Eve despite Larry's objection.
Raise your hand if you have a guess about how an 80s Christmas sitcom episode is going to end when the plot is about inviting someone who seems to be a jerk. Anyway, I'm a sucker for Christmas episodes and pretty forgiving of contrived plots for those kind of episodes though boy does it get sappy at the end to a sickly point. There are some funny moments when the whole party is trying to decide whether or not to let Mr. Gorpley in. I do think it's interesting that Harriet Winslow is spending Christmas Eve with Balki and Larry and her work family. What about her real family we later meet on Family Matters? Obviously that show had not been dreamed up yet.
RATING: 7/10
When Larry decides they need to get a housekeeper, Balki finds one who will work for a very low price.
Hiring a maid is typically a sitcom plot for one about a family or a couple and not two roommates but I'm not going to judge this plot too much. After all, I did hire a housekeeper once in awhile when I was single. This episode benefits from the great Doris Roberts, who shines as Mrs. Bailey, the maid and mother figure to Balki. She was nominated for an Emmy for Guest Actress for this performance. Roberts and Bronson Pinchot have a wonderful chemistry together and some funny moments and once again, Larry comes off as a jerk for a lot of the episode although he does redeem himself and gets off a funny line about not usually being the one right, which is very true. I found myself wishing Roberts had become a recurring character rather than a one-off guest star.
RATING: 9/10
61. That Old Gang of Mine (1/13/89)
Mary Anne moves to London and Balki joins a motorcycle gang to take his mind off of her.
This was a pretty abrupt plot point of Mary Anne moving to London since there was no indication in previous episodes and of course it doesn't last long. The whole episode feels pretty dumb because it's tied to Balki joining a motorcycle gang and the completely unrealistic (and dumb) reveal of Balki coming into the office on a motorcycle. Even silly sitcoms like Perfect Strangers need to root their characters in reality and Balki, from everything we've known about him through three and a half seasons, would not be one to join a motorcycle gang. So the entire premise doesn't work and the motorcycle gang is just silly and trying to get cheap laughs. We should have been well past the point of this type of depiction in 1989. Not that I feel bad for motorcycle gangs but this just all feels so dumb.
RATING: 1.5/10
62. Crimebusters (1/20/89)
Larry gets promoted to an investigative reporter at the newspaper and tries to break a story with inside knowledge from Harriet's husband.
This episode marks the debut of Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow, Harriet's on-screen husband who of course became the patriarch in spinoff Family Matters (ironically, the expression "family matters" is used by Harriet in the episode). It's easy to see why they wanted to spin off Carl and Harriet as VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton have an easy and funny chemistry. VelJohnson is pretty instrumental to the episode in general and he brings a great energy to the show. The scene with him in Larry and Balki's apartment moves along nicely (with some funny moments from Bronson Pinchot too). The episode does spend too long with Balki and Larry's argument about keeping a secret though. Still a strong entry with a nice twist.
RATING: 9/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - A look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at Season Four (Part 2) of Perfect Strangers!
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