On Thursdays, I take a critical look at a TV show by season. Here's a look at Season 6 (Part 2) of Happy Days! For Part 1, click here!
While Richie is running for his college's class president, he gets framed while at a massage parlor.
This is sort of an adult-themed episode that would probably have different consequences in modern times. This theme is a welcome relief after the string of silly, very kid-friendly episodes. It's one that firmly places Richie and the gang in college and deals with college level pranks instead of trying to make them all seem like high school students. I also like that the episode plays up Richie's nerdiness with his campaign speech. It's not something the show does all that often and I think they could have made that a character trait more regularly.
RATING: 6.5/10
131. Christmas Time (12/19/78)
At Christmas, Fonzie gets a package delivered to him from his father but he doesn't want anything to do with it. Richie and Lori Beth fight when Richie spends too much money on her gift.
This is the first Christmas episode that really feels like a Christmas episode since the Season Two classic (Season Four's "Richie Branches Out" was sort of a half-hearted attempt). It's not quite as strong as the first Christmas episode, but it's pretty darn close. It's incredibly festive throughout the entire episode, there are many funny moments (Marion tipsy on eggnog for example and of course the predictable but fun tree parade that happens). It also is incredibly sweet without being sappy. Henry Winkler hasn't always nailed the serious scenes but he really does a great job with the dramatic work in this episode. Happy Days knows how to do Christmas episodes.
RATING: 9.5/10
132. Smokin' Ain't Cool (1/16/79)
After joining a social group of girls, Joanie takes up smoking and the others try to get her to stop.
It seems like Happy Days re-centered itself after a very broad start to the season. There are more broad episodes to come, but this stretch of episodes really feels like they settled back down and didn't feel the need to do something outrageous each week. There are elements of this episode that feel a little bit like an after school special but the show manages to avoid becoming too preachy. It chooses humor over heart just enough of the time to not make it cringeworthy and Happy Days is not always a show that knows where that line is.
RATING: 6.5/10
133. Ralph vs. Potsie (1/23/79)
Potsie and Ralph are feuding and seek help from an advice columnist.
It was inevitable after Ralph and Potsie moved in together that an episode like this would happen. By the way, has anyone ever actually physically divided a house or apartment in half or is that something that has only ever happened in sitcom land? It's been interesting to watch the evolution of Potsie over the years because he became a dumber and dumber character as the show seemed to decide that was the character he should be instead of the "lovable square" he and Richie both sort of were in the early seasons. This is only the second appearance by Chachi in the season. I don't think I realized how much he was absent from this season before doing these reviews.
RATING: 6/10
Leather tries to get her song on the National Sock Hop show only to have it stolen by another artist.
Suzi Quatro returns for the first time in Season Six with a pretty absurd plot that is still fun despite the ridiculous premise. As a kid, I absolutely loved this episode because I thought the closing song "Do the Fonzie" was super cool. I recognize now that "Do the Fonzie" is super cheesy but darn it if it doesn't still bring a smile to my face. One thing I really still like about the episode is it's another one that firmly places it in the era the show is set in. It's amazing there wasn't a sock hop episode in the first two seasons but it's nice the show remembers its setting once in awhile. It's just pure fun.
RATING: 8.5/10
135. Married Strangers (2/6/79)
After bickering on their honeymoon, Howard and Marion return to the lodge where they spent their honeymoon.
Up to this point in the run, I don't think any episode focused as exclusively on Howard and Marion and it's a really refreshing episode. Tom Bosley and Marion Ross are underrated on this show and aren't always used to their fullest potential. That's understandable because the show was more about the kids. So it's really fun to see Bosley and Ross get their chance to shine and there's almost nothing from the rest of the cast (the rest of the cast barely appears in the episode). Bosley and Ross are up to the challenge and the episode is very sweet.
RATING: 9.5/10
136. Marion: Fairy Godmother (2/13/79)
Ralph invites Leather to the Military Ball and she seeks help from Marion on becoming more of a lady.
After not seeing Leather at all for most of Season Six, this is the second time in three episodes she gets a featured story. It's a little bit of an odd title because Marion playing the "Fairy Godmother" role is actually a pretty small part of the episode. It all follows a very predictable plot with Ralph and Leather trying, but not embracing their "new selves" and then of course realizing that they don't need to change to fit someone else's expectations. As I've said before, Suzi Quatro is a good singer but not a great actress so that hurts this episode a bit. Henry Winkler barely appears in this episode.
RATING: 6/10
137. Fonzie's Funeral Part 1 (2/20/79)
Fonzie discovers counterfeit money while working on a hearse and stumbles into a crime ring with a sinister character named The Candyman.
The absurdity of Season Six reaches a zenith with this two-parter. This episode feels closer to a Batman episode than a Happy Days episode because of the crazy character that is The Candyman. The one thing about this episode that I like more than some of the other crazy episodes of the season is it really leans into the crazy. It is borderline satire which is more than Happy Days usually does. Even though the first season of Happy Days would look on this episode with horror, it doesn't change the fact that there are some funny scenes and lines as well as some good sight gags.
RATING: 7/10
After Fonzie survives an attempted murder by the Candyman, the Cunninghams stage his funeral to save Ralph and Potsie.
The second part of this insane plot features a cavalcade of familiar faces. Those paying their respects to Fonzie, who is presumed dead, include the return of Arnold and Officer Kirk and, most notably, the cast of Laverne & Shirley. The spinoff's cast has a particularly memorable moment in this episode as Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams are pretty hilarious visiting the casket and then the entire cast has a really funny sight gag as they prepare to leave the funeral home. The episode, like the first part, is very cartoony but it is a good time, there's no denying that.
RATING: 8.5/10
139. Mork Returns (3/6/79)
Mork visits from the year 1979 and wants more information about life in the 50s from Richie. This is primarily a clip show so no rating will be given.
140. The Duel (3/13/79)
A French fencing champion is staying with the Cunninghams and his rude personality leads Fonzie to challenge him in fencing.
Boy we've gotten to a weird place with Happy Days when the plot centers on a French visitor who is great at fencing and Fonzie dueling in fencing himself (like there was any suspense about where this plot was going from the beginning). Unlike "Fonzie's Funeral," there is nothing about this ridiculous plot that I find fun. And that's partly because seeing Fonzie play the hero in some crazy scenario is just getting so old at this point.
RATING: 2/10
141. Chachi's Incredo-Wax (5/8/79)
Chachi gets conned into selling a wax that seems great but turns out to be a terrible product.
Chachi is very much back in the picture now with a story that he takes the lead on though it eventually moves more into a story for Richie, Fonzie (and I guess Al to some extent in a pretty ridiculous scene). This episode is not as crazy though as some earlier episodes but it's just sort of meh. Dare I say I found myself wishing for a more ridiculous plot in this episode. I guess I just can't be pleased because a crazy episode can sometimes be better than a boring episode. And this one, other than a few funny visuals, is just sort of boring. Don Most and Erin Moran both do not appear in this episode.
RATING: 3/10
Potsie drops out of school after struggling with his grade and dealing with a difficult teacher. Fonzie has to get new boots.
Season Six ends its odd mix of crazy and humdrum episodes with an episode that is clearly a college-themed episode, something that was few and far-between this season. I'm not sure Anson Williams should be given serious material. His yelling about quitting school was not believable at all and very poorly played. This is one of the few episodes with an actual B story involving Fonzie and his boots. The whole episode works fine but it certainly leans on the humdrum side and not the crazy side. Plus we already saw a story like this set in high school and with Fonzie at the center back in the first season. And the "Schoolhouse Rock" type ending... weird...
RATING: 4.5/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON SIX:
5.7/10
The Best Episodes
1. "Christmas Time" (#131) - 9.5/10
2. "Married Strangers" (#135) - 9.5/10
3. "Fonzie's Funeral" Part 2 (#138) - 8.5/10
4. "Stolen Melodies" (#134) - 8.5/10
5. "Sweet Sixteen" (#122) - 8.5/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "The Evil Eye" (#124) - 2/10
2. "Fonzie's Blindness" (#119) - 2/10
3. "The Duel" (#140) - 2/10
4. "The Claw Meets the Fonz" (#125) - 3/10
5. "The Kissing Bandit" (#128) - 3/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at Season 7 (Part 1) of Happy Days!
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