EPISODE GUIDES: Perfect Strangers Season Six (Part 1)

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 6 (Part 1) of Perfect Strangers!

PERFECT STRANGERS: SEASON SIX

1990-1991

24 episodes

Season six of Perfect Strangers did not grade out to be my highest ranked season of the show but it did have some awfully high highs thanks to some experimental storytelling. For much of the run, the show was pretty much as standard a sitcom as there was. The sixth season certainly does not stop with the sitcom tropes, but it also does try some different things, most notably in a pitch perfect parody of The Honeymooners midway through the season.

Starring
Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous (24 episodes)
Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton (24 episodes)
Melanie Wilson as Jennifer Lyons (17 episodes)
Rebecca Arthur as Mary Anne Spencer (16 episodes)

Sam Anderson as Sam Gorpley (8 episodes)
Belita Moreno as Lydia (5 episodes)
F.J. O'Neil as Mr. Wainwright (5 episodes)

97. Safe At Home (9/28/90)

After being robbed, Larry and Balki install a state of the art security system.

Season six kicks off with a burglary episode, a trope that hadn't been done yet on Perfect Strangers and a trope I generally enjoy. Unfortunately the episode seems to be more about the security system than the burglary so that makes it less enjoyable. There are a couple of pretty funny sight gags though with the new system and when Larry falls into one of Balki's less state of the art traps. The episode gives a chance for Larry and Balki to do some physical comedy together and Larry did not start off the season on a very annoying note. There's also the humor of how dated the "state of the art" security looks. A pretty good start to the sixth season.

RATING: 7.5/10

98. New Kid on the Block (10/5/90)

Balki and Larry have to babysit for a rambunctious seven year old neighbor just when Larry is trying to break a story.

The beginning of this episode is emblematic of a problem Perfect Strangers can sometimes run into. It made about three jokes in a row about Balki not understanding something Larry is saying. It can be funny once but three jokes in a row is just lazy writing and an attempt at cheap laughs. Anyway, this episode features Alisan Porter in a role that was supposed to be recurring (perhaps with the show being on TGIF, ABC wanted a kid in the cast). However, Porter ended up only appearing in this episode as the idea was dropped. I think that was a good idea. This episode is fine but there was no reason that Porter needed to become a recurring character.

RATING: 5.5/10

99. The Break-Up (10/12/90)

Jennifer breaks up with Larry because she doesn't know where the relationship is going and she starts dating an old college boyfriend.

Perfect Strangers isn't much for on-going storylines but the relationship between Larry and Jennifer is probably the closest it comes. This episode marks a major turning point in their relationship and it's nice to see the show finally advance that. That being said, there's a truly stupid moment right before Larry tells Jennifer he loves her that is a callback to an earlier (and funny) story from Balki. I am not saying the moment needed to be serious but Larry mistaking what he says in that particular way just was so, so dumb. The whole episode isn't dumb though but we all think Jennifer could do better than Larry, right?

RATING: 7/10

100. A Horse is a Horse (10/19/90)

Larry buys a horse who ends up having to be put to sleep but Balki gets attached and brings the horse back to the apartment.

Everything about this episode feels pretty close to a zany 60s episode, especially the horse in the living room (complete with a spit take from Larry). The only thing about the episode that placed it in the 1990s was a (now very dated) Vanilla Ice performance from Larry and Balki at the beginning of the episode. It actually gets pretty sweet towards the end of the episode when the horse is seemingly on death's door but of course it ends happily. As someone who hates sad animal moments (who doesn't?), I'm totally fine with the happy ending.

RATING: 7.5/10

101. Family Feud (10/26/90)

Balki is dealing with a 500 year old Myopian feud and Larry accidentally gets himself involved in it.

There are times were I think Perfect Strangers does a great job with building the world of Mypos. I love some of the offhand remarks that Balki makes about the country or an understanding he has based on his upbringing. However, episodes that deal more directly with Mypos, like this one, often fall flat because they are too cartoony and this one might be the worst offender of that. The duel with guest star Nicholas Kadi is just ridiculous the entire time and despite the best efforts of Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot, it's just too dumb of a plot to work.

RATING: 1.5/10

102. Call Me Indestructible (11/2/90)

After a near death experience, Balki becomes convinced that he and Larry are indestructible thanks to the protection of a Myposian god.

This episode sort of deals with the same problem I was talking about in the previous episode although it's less connected to Mypos and less ridiculous (though it certainly is not at a zero on the ridiculous scale). It also suffers from being just the same thing over and over again. Balki and Larry do this dangerous stunt, get a thrill from it and then do another dangerous stunt. And yikes, we have pretty terrible filming work during the motorcycle ride. Two misses in a row.

RATING: 2.5/10

103. The Men Who Knew Too Much Part 1 (11/9/90)

Larry gets sent to Los Angeles to cover the wedding of two celebrities but he and Balki accidentally get caught up in mobster activity.

Perfect Strangers takes a trip in this one and it works better than previous episodes because they were very clearly doing some location filming (in the city where Perfect Strangers actually was filmed) as opposed to lame looking sets like they did in some other "trip" episodes. It's nice to see some money was put into this episode, it definitely gives it an "event" feel. They perhaps spend a little too much time in the "chase" scene but it is a fun opportunity to see a lot of Los Angeles (places and people) in the early 1990s. 

RATING: 8/10

104. The Men Who Knew Too Much Part 2 (11/16/90)

After Larry gets falsely accused of stabbing a man, Balki and Larry are on the run and trying to set the record straight.

The second part of the action-filled Los Angeles trip isn't quite as strong as the first even though it is more plot-driven than part one. There's a very 1990s-era problem with a VCR being fought over and then breaking as it falls down a bunch of stairs but I think the problem is there's just a lot of the same thing. Every time they get close to getting out of peril, someone else finds them and the chase is on again. I know I often accuse Perfect Strangers for its sophomoric humor and plots but I actually think the mobsters could have stood to be a little bit more caricatures for this episode, which was such a heightened plot anyway.

RATING: 6/10

105. The Ring (11/23/90)

Larry accidentally buys an engagement ring for Jennifer from a phony ring dealer.

Are we surprised at all that Larry as a character would try to scrimp on Jennifer's engagement ring by getting a ring from a guy operating out of his car? That was rhetorical. This episode seems to sputter for awhile during the dinner scene but picks up in comedy when Larry and Balki break into Jennifer and Mary Anne's apartment. It's another example of the best moments of the Balki and Larry relationship: when they can work together on a task that involves some level of physical comedy.

RATING: 7/10

106. Black Widow (11/30/90)

While researching mass murderers, Larry sees a picture of someone who looks just like Mary Anne and becomes convinced that she had a previous life as a murderer.

The sitcom trope of jumping to conclusions is as old as the sitcom itself. I totally get that this is supposed to be a heightened sitcom episode but it's just all so silly. I think the basic concept of Larry thinking Mary Anne is a mass murderer is silly but workable. It's when they go to the mountain (on a very poorly built set clearly on a soundstage) that it goes over the edge for me. It's a bad way to get to the end of a story.

RATING: 3/10

107. The Sunshine Boys (12/7/90)

Larry and Balki get invited to a party from the most popular guy at Larry's high school but accidentally burn themselves trying to get a fake tan.

It's amazing how many plots Perfect Strangers had in the late 80s and early 90s that were callbacks to I Love Lucy plots from the 50s. That's a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that some comedic conceits are pretty timeless and workable across decades. Bad because someone who is a big I Love Lucy fan (like myself) might see these paling in comparison. I did feel a little bad for Larry in this episode because it's pretty clear what high school was like for the character. It's not often I feel bad for Larry so kudos to this episode for making him a sympathetic character!

RATING: 7.5/10

108. Hocus Pocus (12/14/90)

Larry is not interested in going to Balki's community magic show until he finds out Margaret Thatcher is going to make an appearance and he sees an opportunity for a story.

Well, my sympathy for Larry lasted exactly one episode. He is pretty infuriating in this episode and Mark Linn-Baker has an absolutely TERRIBLE acting moment when he is "crying" because he thinks he's going to get fired. I've never understood this from a directorial standpoint. If you have an actor that clearly can't fake cry, even in a comedic situation, then don't direct him to do it that way. That line could have been delivered without the tears to have the same effect. On top of that, this episode drags on and on with the unfunny magic act. It's a rough one.

RATING: 2/10

109. Finders Keepers (1/4/91)

Balki finds a box with a lot of money and has a difficult time finding the owner of the box. Then he and Larry have a mishap when they do try to return it.

Balki and Larry at a funeral. There's a sitcom trope that Perfect Strangers hasn't covered yet. This episode spends an awful lot of time getting to what it decided would be the major comedic thrust of the episode and I think there were better setups to get Larry and Balki to a funeral. The plot of them holding the money goes on too long and probably could have been accomplished in half the time. When we get to the actual funeral, the comedy also isn't there. So this whole episode is not that funny and also has pacing issues. So there's that.

RATING: 2/10

Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

Next Thursday: A look at Season 6 (Part 2) of Perfect Strangers!