WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:21.519 Weird media nik. Mister Walters, is she that guy with it now? 2 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:27.239 He's an actor at the phone name I can't driver and the only camp driver 3 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:33.320 in his place. Good evening, everyone, and welcome back tonight mister Walters 4 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:38.280 a Taxi podcast. I'm HP your co host, and with me as he 5 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:41.960 is every week, is my other co host, Father Malone. Father Malone, 6 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.000 how are you this evening? Oh man, I'm so looking forward to 7 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:49.719 talking about Harold and Mont too. Taxi Edition. Yes, indeed, let's 8 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:54.079 get into this. The episode that Father Malone is not so obliquely referencing is 9 00:00:54.240 --> 00:01:00.000 Taxi episode fourteen, Sugar Mama. It's written by Hey, It's written by 10 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:04.599 the Pride of Henderson, Nevada, Glenn Charles and Less Charles, the Charlesys. 11 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:07.040 I love the Charles Wes. I get so excited every time I see 12 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:11.040 their name. And the script is no slouch. It is a very special 13 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:17.040 episode of Taxi and we'll talk about all the reasons why I should mention as 14 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.920 if it needs mentioning that it's directed by, of course, James Burrows. 15 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:25.400 Reminder, we're doing these shows in broadcast order and not in order of filming. 16 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.319 Also a reminder James Burrows directed all of them. If we forget to 17 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.640 say his name, you'll forgive us, Okay. So we start off this 18 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:38.000 episode Alex is driving his cab at night and he's reporting back into Louie on 19 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.200 the little radio, and Louis gives Alex a warning that it's a full moon 20 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:48.519 and every creep is going to be out tonight. Alex then tells Louis to 21 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:52.000 make sure he wears a jacket because it's cold tonight. I like that exchange 22 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:56.159 between them. I like the banter between them, and it's nice because in 23 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.879 any other sort of lesser sitcom, their relationship would be the powering boss who 24 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:04.799 we hear from and he's gruff and that's it. But this is a true 25 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.039 working relationship that they can blow off steam and joke with each other. Alex 26 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:14.080 is probably the one who's least antagonized by Louie. I think we can agree 27 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:16.199 on that. Oh, that's true. He always seems to be bemused by 28 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:22.719 Louis, like he doesn't let anything Louie is doing affect him personally. Yeah, 29 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:27.719 and Alex is the one that Louie is the most likely to As we 30 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.639 saw in the previous episode, full House for Christmas. Alex is the one 31 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:37.159 that Louie will often go to with his problems, because it's apparent that Louis 32 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:42.680 doesn't view Alex as a simple underlink. There's a respect there, So to 33 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.360 your point, I think it's they play off of that relationship really well. 34 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:51.439 Alex in his cab is hailed by an old woman who wants Alex to take 35 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:53.879 her to Chase Stadium and he says, well, there's no game tonight, 36 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:59.280 and she gives him a tart response that she didn't ask for the schedule. 37 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:04.400 And who is this woman? You ask father alone? Who is this mystery 38 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:12.919 passenger? The always phenomenal, supernaturally talented, always watchable Ruth Gordon. Most 39 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:16.360 would know her from her her turn in Rosemary's Baby. She's one of the 40 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.680 coven. I think everyone else and everyone should And if you haven't seen the 41 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:25.120 movie, you should be ashamed of yourself. That movie is Harold and Maud. 42 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:30.400 She's mod in that film. It is one of my absolute favorite films. 43 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:34.080 It's in my top five, top three. The success of that movie 44 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:37.039 is not one hundred percent on her. It's probably it's fifty to fifty with 45 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:40.599 her and but Court. But she is an absolute marvel to watch, and 46 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:46.439 what a treat that she shows up here. In a career that spanned seventy 47 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:53.400 years, that's seven zero seventy years, she was nominated for five Academy Awards. 48 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:59.199 She won one in nineteen sixty nine for Rosemary's Baby, which you mentioned. 49 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:05.400 She was also nominated for four Primetime Emmys, winning one in nineteen seventy 50 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:11.840 nine. Four this particular episode well deserved. And you know me, HP, 51 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:15.000 I'm not the biggest fan of the awards. Sometimes they do not reflect 52 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:19.079 the quality of a show. Not this show obviously, But yeah, Ruth 53 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:24.519 Gordon deserves all the awards anytime she shows up anywhere. As you said followed 54 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:29.720 alone, she's eminently watchable. She's always got this glint in her eye. 55 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.399 She makes it seem effortless. Do you know her first credited role was in 56 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:39.160 nineteen forty as Mary Todd Lincoln and Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Forty years later, 57 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.319 here she is on taxi, just slaying that cliche of wine getting better 58 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.240 with age. I think that holds true for Ruth Gordon. She was a 59 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.720 treasure, a true acting treasure. Now I brought up that she started in 60 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:53.720 nineteen forty four, as if that was an incredible span of time. She 61 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:58.800 actually made her debut on stage in nineteen fifteen in a production of Peter Pants. 62 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:03.240 She was one of the Lost Boys nineteen fifteen. There was no axing 63 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:09.439 when Ruth Gordon began her career in acting, and by the time she finished, 64 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.639 we had walked in the moon. We cut back. Now we see 65 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:17.199 Alex and this old woman we now know her name is d They're sitting outside 66 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:23.720 Shay Stadium, and after some banter back and forth between herself and Alex, 67 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:29.120 she asks Alex to take her to LaGuardia Airport. She wants them to park 68 00:05:29.160 --> 00:05:31.920 at the end of a runway so they can see the planes coming in for 69 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.680 a landing right at them, and she describes what it's like when the airplane 70 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:41.759 comes in and you can hear that the landing gear come down again we just 71 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.839 talked about. This is a woman who's what in her eighties at this point. 72 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:49.920 She talks with such glee and such excitement. She wins over Alex, 73 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:55.800 she wins over the audience for that matter. She's like the grandmother that we 74 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.759 all wish we had, the eccentric, crazy grandmother with the glint in her 75 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:03.439 rock. She's so warm and funny. Yeah, she's got exuberance. Ruth 76 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:10.000 Gordon just exudes a genuine lust for life. As cliche as that phrase might 77 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:14.920 sound, it fairly sparkles off of her. I do have a quick question, 78 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:18.279 which is her first exchange with riegor is the I didn't ask for the 79 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:23.040 schedule, Sonny, just take me to the take me to the ballpark. 80 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:27.160 In order to deliver that line, she slides the plexiglass divider to the side 81 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.439 and leans in and says it. And I wondered, what is the goddamn 82 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:34.279 purpose of the plexiglass divider if your potential perpetrator can just slide it open and 83 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:40.079 stick a gun in your face. That did seem rather concerning because she's over 84 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:44.560 eighty years old at this point and she just swipes the thing across like it's 85 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.959 nothing. When Burns was in the backseat, it fell on Alex. Maybe 86 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:53.519 maybe Burns has been loosening up the screws on all of the plexiglass dividers while 87 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:57.920 no one is looking. Part of his master plan. Who knows, But 88 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:01.040 that did seem odd that she just rolled it aside like nothing. And while 89 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.720 they're at Chase Stadium. Did you notice this? This felt odd to me. 90 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:09.319 The shot of Sae Stadium looked a lot to me like they took a 91 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:15.079 photograph of Schae Stadium during the day and then painted it into nighttime. Do 92 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:17.079 you get that feeling? I didn't. I'm going to have to go back 93 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.519 and rewatch it. Do you think it was like a matte painting. I'm 94 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:25.120 not saying that they brought in, you know, Douglas Slowcombe to paint on 95 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:29.319 glass for this one quick shot of Shaye Stadium in this episode of Taxi, 96 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:35.439 but I'm saying it felt like a little unusual. When she asks Alex to 97 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:40.639 drive her to the airport, he starts to think that maybe this full moon 98 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:44.759 business is true. But they go to the runway anyway. And here's another 99 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:49.120 special shout out the process shot of them inside the cab because now out the 100 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:55.240 back window of the cab you can see the landing lights as if they're on 101 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:59.800 the runway at LaGuardia, which I thought was beautiful. The poor man's process 102 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.279 is on point in this episode. It's out of hand, out of control 103 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.839 and super fantastic. We'll get back to it because it's gonna come up again 104 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.480 later. But HB, have you ever done this? Oh, gone to 105 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.800 an airport? Yeah, parked your car at the edge of a runway to 106 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:18.319 watch planes either take off over you or land near you. I've never done 107 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:22.399 it. I remember in college they did something similar in the movie Wayne's World, 108 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:26.560 and there was some discussion about us all piling into a car and trying 109 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:28.480 it, but we never did it. Have you tried it? Oh, 110 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:33.159 of course yes, in several airports. Was it every bit the thrilling experience 111 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:37.399 that D thinks it is? Nah, I can take it or leave it. 112 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:39.720 You probably couldn't do that these days post nine to eleven have a car 113 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.559 out on the runway like that? Well, I will say that here in 114 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:48.919 Las Vegas there is a car port like park where you can sort of pull 115 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:52.320 over and not have planes land and take off over you, but you can 116 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:54.519 watch them take off inland. Got a nice actually be kind of cool. 117 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:58.080 No, it makes me wish I did try that when I was younger. 118 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:03.799 D is shouting with absolute glee at the plane that just flew overhead. Alex, 119 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:07.600 I think is starting to warm up to D and her zest for life. 120 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:11.120 And to your point, Father Malone, it's hard in the midst of 121 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:16.399 all of this. This isn't a knock against Ruth Gordon or anything, but 122 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:20.519 it's hard not to see this a little bit as Harold and Maud Part two. 123 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:24.759 As you allude it earlier in this program. This character is very close 124 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.159 to the character she played in that movie. Well, I mean yes, 125 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:33.919 and then it's Ruth Gordon, and she's an older woman teaching a younger man 126 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:37.799 how to live better. But they're not in any way the same really as 127 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:43.639 far as background and point of view. But and here's the thing, like, 128 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.639 I don't know that I would be making a Harold and mod comparison if 129 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:50.159 it hadn't been Ruth Gordon. And I do like this script. I don't 130 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:54.759 think the script resembles Harold and Maud in anyway other than Ruth Gordon brings that 131 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:58.200 to it. She then starts to tell Alex a little bit about her background. 132 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:03.919 She was the clerk at the candy counter at Woolworth's for over thirty five 133 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:07.480 years. At that point, Dee says, hey, they should drive past 134 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:11.679 her old storm. Alex asks, wasn't on the way, and she says, 135 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:13.360 well, everything's on the way. This is just like a flight of 136 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:18.120 fancy for her. She's just stream of consciousness deciding I want to go here, 137 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:20.240 I want to go there, and she's taking Alex on this kind of 138 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:24.720 adventure. She's hired a cab driver as a limousine driver for the evening effect. 139 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:28.919 Yeah exactly. Alex eventually has to drive her home. It's late, 140 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.519 and she says she had a very nice time, and Alex agrees that he 141 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.000 did too, despite kind of the craziness of it all, he had a 142 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:39.159 really nice time. He asks Alex to come pick her up around six pm 143 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.759 the following night, but he has to explain to her that he gets in 144 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:48.360 around five point thirty and never knows really how long he'll have to wait for 145 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:50.679 the day drivers to roll in. Let's remember that he is a night shift 146 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:54.279 cavvy. I think, as you pointed out the very first episode of Night 147 00:10:54.360 --> 00:11:00.679 mister Walters, the day shift ends around five thirty, right, or that's 148 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:03.120 when the night shift begins. No, night shift begins at three pm? 149 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:07.039 Three pm? Then why does he say five point thirty? I have no 150 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:11.559 idea what the sign on the wall says three? Oh okay, my mistake. 151 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.159 That's just maybe poor set decoration or something. But that's what I've based 152 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.840 their thing on on what they told me. So then she asks how much 153 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.080 she owes and he reluctantly says, because the meter has been running, you 154 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:28.720 feel like he's been dreading this part. He says, well, I told 155 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:31.679 you it was going to be high. It's seventy four dollars and twenty five 156 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:35.360 cents, and she says, don't worry. I'm comfortable. In fact, 157 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:41.080 she says, quote unquote, she is filthy comfortable, which is a nice 158 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:45.919 way of saying she's rich. Alex questions how could she be rich on a 159 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:50.039 Woolworth's pension, and she laughs and says that she never got married and she 160 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:54.320 decided to focus on work. A few months before retiring, she met a 161 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.759 wealthy man who asked her to marry him. She accepted. Four months later 162 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:01.600 he died, and she says, there's a moral in there somewhere. She 163 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.639 wants to give Alex a nice tip, and she asks what the best tip 164 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:07.960 you ever got was, and he says, well, a guy gave me 165 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:15.480 twenty five dollars. Once de enthusiastically gives him exactly twenty six dollars and congratulates 166 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:18.759 him on a new record. It's funny because I think we all figured she 167 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.320 would give him, like, here's two hundred dollars or some ridiculously large tip. 168 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:26.759 But she only goes one dollar up, just so he can have the 169 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:30.360 record and yet still not have to give him too much money. Kind of 170 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:33.679 cenzy. I would have given him one hundred dollars big tip for though, 171 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:37.480 twenty five dollars and seventy eight's nothing to sneeze at. Nothing sneeze at now 172 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:43.279 either. Could you turn down twenty six bucks? I would, I'd say 173 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.919 thank you very much. Listen. I used to drive. We've never really 174 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:50.600 talked about the stage wey, but I spent some time in a parallel Cabby 175 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.159 lifestyle driving for ride share. Sometimes I would have people who were dripping with 176 00:12:54.320 --> 00:13:00.240 wealth and would be proclaiming how wealthy they were and would tip not at all 177 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:03.080 while telling me they would so God damn it. She should have given him 178 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:07.399 a hundred dollars easily. I mean, she eventually does, obviously the episode, 179 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.039 but still, I mean, I get what you're saying that she's feeling 180 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:15.399 him out. Nevertheless, come on, lady, he drove you everywhere. 181 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.120 She's made it clear that she's got a ton of money. I mean it's 182 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:22.840 nothing to her. Dlex offers to help her out of the cab and this 183 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:26.720 is one of the many things I really love the line readings. She brusquely 184 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:31.360 replies, forget it, like you know, she's she's so feisty, it's 185 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:35.360 fantastic. Alex kind of smiles to himself and he drives off. So now 186 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:39.799 we're back at the garage and the Cabby's are all complaining about the crazies that 187 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:46.039 the full moon brings out. Alex returns and Bobby asks if he picked up 188 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:48.440 any crazies tonight, and Alex says, no, he picked up a nice 189 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:54.200 old lady who just wanted to drive around and talk. And meanwhile, Dopey 190 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.840 Burns lumbers over. He's eating cookies. Oh my god. In an episode 191 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:03.679 filled with bright moments, this is the darkest. He's eating cookies and exclaiming 192 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:11.279 to himself, I'm eating Apparently he picked up two quote unquote rock musicians and 193 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:16.440 claims that he's still on his contact high. Oh my god, he's not 194 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.480 a contact high. That. Get out of here, you dummy. Check 195 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.399 me on this, father Balone. I feel like they did a similar bit 196 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:30.000 with Woody on cheers. Do you remember anything about that? Hmm? It 197 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:35.279 sounds familiar and I can't remember it specifically. Nevertheless, it doesn't work here 198 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.559 in Taxi. It's just another example of Burns not really fitting into the whole 199 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.399 episode or the ensemble. Hey, who comes over to the garage? D 200 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:50.200 shows up at the garage. She proceeds to charm all of the cabbies because 201 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.240 they make it clear that in their conversation the previous night her and Alex, 202 00:14:54.639 --> 00:15:00.960 that he's talked all about all the people at Sunshine cab She knows without anyone 203 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:05.159 saying a word, who Louie is, who Elayne is, and so on 204 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:09.159 and so forth, even Louis who gives her some lip. You can tell 205 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:15.159 that he is a little bit charmed by Di as well. Or maybe it 206 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:20.000 could be that it's Danny DeVito kind of betraying the fact that he's really enjoying 207 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:24.799 his time acting alongside Ruth Gordon. Did you notice he had kind of a 208 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.360 smile? Of course, how could you not like? What could be better 209 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:33.320 for an actor than doing a scene against her, particularly if it's an antagonistic 210 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:37.039 scene. Also, how stoked was Ruth Gordon to be opposite a leading man 211 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:43.200 type and tower over him. That's got to be rare. Also, what 212 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:46.840 a missed opportunity that we didn't get a buddy film starring Danny DeVito and Ruth 213 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:50.840 Gordon. It could have been spectacular. It could have been he had to 214 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:56.000 settle for Anne Ramsey and throw Mama from the train. But I think she 215 00:15:56.080 --> 00:16:00.960 was a bit taller than Ruth Gordon, right, Yeah, Ruth Gordon ted 216 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.960 by then. Must have been, must have been. She says to Alex 217 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:10.879 that she has the perfect solution to this logistical problem of him getting a cab, 218 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:15.919 and which she does is essentially bribe Louis five dollars and Louie immediately kicks 219 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:23.799 Banta out of the cab that he just gave Banta moments earlier and installs Alex 220 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.399 and his fare d in this cab. So it works and they're off. 221 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:33.279 They're on another joy ride for the evening. She's riding in the front seat 222 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:37.279 of the cab with Alex, which, as we know, that's a sign 223 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:41.840 of comfort and ease with the Cabby's when they allow somebody to ride up front 224 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:44.960 with them as opposed to the back right a sign of a guest star. 225 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.279 In an episode you're Tom Selex, you're Ruth Gordon sees they get to ride 226 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:52.440 in the front seat along with the leads from taxi. True, unless you're 227 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:56.639 a Scoe Mitchell, a mugger in the episode that he was in eight oh 228 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:59.919 four, in which case being in the front seat is no good. Although 229 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.440 maybe no good for Wheeler, but good for the audience. Yeah, no, 230 00:17:03.839 --> 00:17:06.759 hey, that was the best part of that. We agreed, that 231 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:10.880 was the best part of that two parter. She's charming Alex with the story 232 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:15.079 of how she met her late husband. Dee wistfully looks away and says, 233 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:21.079 yeah, I miss George's crappole. I don't know something about the way she 234 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:25.519 said it. I just I thought it was hilarious. Well, she's no 235 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:30.000 nonsense, matter of fact. And that's the thing. People like this kind 236 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.720 of a character because they tell it like it is. But people take the 237 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.559 wrong lesson from a character like that. They think that's a license to just 238 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:41.880 be an asshole. This character is not being an asshole. She's saying things 239 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:45.359 sincerely. So yes, she's talking about him and his bullshit, but she 240 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:48.599 misses him and his bullshit. It was part of him. There's a genuine 241 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.640 infection there for it. So they continue to have this deep conversation, and 242 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:59.720 they were talking about her adjustment to suddenly becoming rich, because remember she was 243 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:03.720 just living on a Woolworth's salary for decades, and all of a sudden, 244 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:08.200 she's very comfortable, she said, she's filthy comfortable. She says, that's 245 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:14.240 the day when I realized that being poor is best left to people with no 246 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:18.839 money. Again, you can't lose with Ruth Gordon, No you can't. 247 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:22.279 But I got to say when she says that Riager's reaction is my reaction, 248 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:26.839 he facially conveyed what I was thinking. Just fuck you, old woman, 249 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:32.319 kind of bullshit that like you were one of us. Don't be that person, 250 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:34.880 Like we're gonna let you slide because you're Ruth Garden, but fuck you. 251 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.319 The writing is fantastic in this episode. I mean, she's delivering it, 252 00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:45.599 but the writing itself is really solid. They're giving her a lot to 253 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:49.319 work with, and it's a credit to the Charleses that this is a really 254 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:55.640 solidly written episode. Right yeah, because hey, in the previous episode, 255 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.079 there was no b plot, and we saw that as a sign of weakness 256 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:03.119 in that script. Is there a b plot here, No, and yet 257 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:07.200 it's more focused, it's more funny, it's more character driven, and it's 258 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.039 more nuanced. Way to go, Charles Brothers, Charles plus Charles equals fantastic. 259 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:18.200 I often knock an episode a yellow light or two because to me, 260 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:22.559 your mileage may vary father alone. But I think I've brought this up on 261 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:26.519 the show in the past. My favorite episodes of Tax the other ones where 262 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:32.880 the ensemble is together in one way or another and they're bouncing off of each 263 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.920 other and they're having the episode is dealing with them as a whole, and 264 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:41.920 everybody has a contribution to the episode. This isn't that. This is another 265 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:47.680 example, kind of similar to Blind Data in a way, where it's just 266 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:52.160 Alex acting opposite a woman and they're kind of it's like a two hander. 267 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:57.680 In this case, it really to your point, it works really really well 268 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:02.759 because you've got two of the best actors around, you've got two of the 269 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:07.039 best writers around, and you've got all wrapped into one of the greatest shows 270 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:11.720 around, and it's magic. I think they're asking a lot of the audience 271 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:18.119 when they focus solely on one character, and potentially a character we haven't seen 272 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.960 before. A guest character drop in as we have here. It's a lot 273 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:26.519 to ask of us to not embrace the rest of the cast for this new 274 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:30.079 plot line. So it's got to be a good story and the characters better 275 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:34.240 be great, and that's what is delivered here. They return to her apartment. 276 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:40.039 She offers him one hundred bucks as a tip. Not am easily twenty 277 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:45.240 six or twenty seven dollars? One hundred bucks O time? Yeah, so 278 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:51.200 Alex protests, and it seems like Alex is starting to feel a little bit 279 00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:55.039 like a kept man. He likes spending time with her, but the fact 280 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:59.559 that there's an exchange of money is making him feel a little bit uneasy about 281 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:03.559 the situation, like a call girl or a hook or one or they out 282 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:07.200 there. She says, what's important to me is what I can buy with 283 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:11.799 my money. Nice food, nice clothes, nice people. See you tomorrow, 284 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:18.000 and she gets out, and Alex is left pensively looking at that one 285 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:21.599 hundred dollars bill. Yes, to go to commercial. What am I selling 286 00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:25.720 for this hundred dollars? Must I lose my soul in the process? Can 287 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:30.680 I let John Burns win? Maybe? She goes up to her apartment to 288 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:37.000 awaiting John Burns saying you're doing wonderfully. D Ruth Gordon has a long history 289 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:44.160 with Satan. Another strand in the web that John Burns is weaving around the 290 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:47.640 cab company, we will see he's like Darryl van Horn and the Witches of 291 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:49.799 Eastwick. He's blown into town. He's going to ruin everything and he's going 292 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:55.279 to disappear just the same. That's working. All of that silliness aside. 293 00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:59.799 And the fact is this scene is good, All the scenes between these two 294 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:03.839 good. But I shouldn't have been noticed this because of the firepower in the 295 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:08.480 foreground. But I mentioned the poor man's process at the top of the show, 296 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:11.960 and you did because the stuff at the airport was fantastic. Here it 297 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:18.440 goes completely bananas. Okay. Poor man's process is usually one or two grips 298 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:22.799 behind the car holding a set of headlights which are probably just floodlights to staple. 299 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.519 You know, it's nailed onto a two by four, and you know, 300 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:29.559 they make the car kind of stop behind them or weave in and out, 301 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.480 and they have other lights off camera that they're showing, like for passing 302 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:37.359 cars, for the passengers to be flooded by the lights. And stuff right, 303 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:41.359 so here all of that isn't working and it's in concert. And then 304 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.720 they pull over and the other cars go past them. And then if you 305 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:49.519 look in the background, there's a traffic light on some distant street behind them 306 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:56.119 that goes to yellow, and then there's cross traffic left to right behind them. 307 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.920 There's tiny lights moving left and right across the frame. I was like, 308 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.359 my god, it's like they're in the city. I didn't think you 309 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:08.680 could surpass the phenomenal work they were doing, just pretending that there were cars 310 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.759 behind this car that's just sitting in a studio somewhere, and then they went 311 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:15.599 ahead and did it like oh yeah, oh you wanted a runway, I 312 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:18.279 can do a runway. Wait till the next scene, and here it is, 313 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.480 and they delivered math. They put all that effort in so that you 314 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.720 forget about it and focus only on the actors and their scenes and their lines 315 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.440 of delivery. You know what I mean. Oh, absolutely, it's like 316 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:33.720 great editing. If you noticed it, then how great was it? Exactly? 317 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:37.720 That's exactly my point, and to that I didn't notice this stuff the 318 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.559 first time I watched the episode. It was on the second or maybe third 319 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:44.440 time, and then it bowled me over because it achieved what it's supposed to 320 00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:48.440 achieve, which is to just make you believe that it's real back there. 321 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:53.160 And I love that there's somebody with miniature lights running side to side and this 322 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:57.640 traffic light, I don't know, it tackles me. Do the Emmys have 323 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:03.559 an award for effects or press practical effects? Because it's beautiful. They deserved 324 00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:06.680 it. Well, there is a technical category, but I don't know if 325 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:10.000 there is a category and if they had won, but they should have. 326 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:14.640 I'm giving them one posthumously right now. They should have been nominated at the 327 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.200 very least, that's for sure. Now we get back to the garage and 328 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:23.440 the Cabby's are all chatting about how they're all looking for old women to get 329 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:27.319 a setup like Alex has with d and they're kind of they're busting his chops 330 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:32.480 a little bit. They're giving them a hard time, especially Louis, who 331 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:37.559 really ends up humiliating Alex. Yeah, but very funny. Everything he's saying 332 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:42.680 is funny. They have an interesting relationship Alex and Louis. At this point, 333 00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:45.359 Alex just kind of sits back and takes it a little bit. But 334 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:48.559 you kind of get the impression that he gives as good as he gets. 335 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:55.559 The focus of the scene for me is less the actions of de Palma and 336 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:02.039 Rieger and more John Burns trying to stifle laughter to the point where he's turning 337 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:07.240 red like G's. He seems to be holding back paroxysms of laughter, and 338 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:11.319 I think that can only mean that his plan is working here. Watching another 339 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:17.880 human be humiliated in the midst of this workplace, just another dark event occurring, 340 00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:22.279 and he's just smiling inside. It brings in glee, even if it's 341 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:30.119 not something of his own design, Just seeing somebody humiliated in the mid the 342 00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:36.039 demon sewing discord at the garage, Louis is just joke after joke. He's 343 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:41.279 on a roll with Alex and he's just really slinging it, and at a 344 00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:47.119 certain point he's laughing so hard that Louise starts to choke, like really choke. 345 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:53.480 So Alex offers Louis a drink, and Louis scarfs it down and then 346 00:25:53.519 --> 00:26:00.839 immediately spits it all back up and exclaiming that's hot coffee, to which just 347 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:06.640 explodes in the same sort of forced cackling laughter that Louis was directing at him, 348 00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:10.000 which is a little mean spirited if you ask me, giving him hot 349 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.480 coffee to save him from choking. The whole scene just leaves a bad taste 350 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:18.160 in my mouth, but clearly when you look at it as a diabolical plan 351 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:22.039 in action, the scene is great. Like watching these people who are so 352 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:27.319 kind of jovial and friendly at the beginning of the episode reduced to this just 353 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:33.279 cat calling and like physical torture. It's all come undone at the Sunshine Cab 354 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:37.480 Company, is it ironically named? Maybe the intent of the scene does kind 355 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:42.960 of come into focus a little bit better when you consider Burns and his evil 356 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.400 scheme, the general diabolical nature of the character. It's actually I can't believe. 357 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:52.720 I'm just noticing it now thanks to your explaining the yeah, no, 358 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:56.680 thanks to your insight into the motivations, it all makes sense to me. 359 00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:00.160 Now we cut back to the cab. We're inside cab again, Alex is 360 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:07.000 taking d He's squiring her around the city again, and she offers him a 361 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.680 gift, which he's none too comfortable accepting. As we would, we can 362 00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:15.960 already see that he's discomfited with the whole situation anyway, she charms him as 363 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:21.839 she does into accepting it. And it's a beautiful cashmere sport coat. Looks 364 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:25.240 beautiful, it looks great. Yeah, riger like rubs his face on it. 365 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:27.640 You can tell, like how soft it is. Like just imagine nice, 366 00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:32.920 warm cashmere coat. I want to just sink into an aquarium, a 367 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:37.000 giant, giant aquarium size, but you know, filled with kashmere. They 368 00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:42.480 arrive at their next destination, it's they wonderfully titled the Enchanted Island Ballroom, 369 00:27:42.920 --> 00:27:48.799 and d asks Alex to wait a couple of hours outside, and he becomes 370 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:51.279 very apprehensive, as you would expect, like who wants to sit out? 371 00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:55.640 He's not a limo driver, he's making money off of bookings. It's ridiculous. 372 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:59.680 But then so then she suggests, why don't you come inside with me 373 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:03.119 then, and Alex says he'd feel out of place, he's not really dressed 374 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:06.720 appropriately, it would just be weird, to which she says, well, 375 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:10.720 hey, nothing is dressier than a cashmere sport coat. Then he says, 376 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.079 well, no, I don't have a I don't have a tie or anything. 377 00:28:12.119 --> 00:28:15.480 That'd be ridiculous, and she says yes. He pulls out another box 378 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:21.400 wrapped and says Merry Christmas and gives him a tie. So this was a 379 00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:26.799 scheme in D's mind to get him looking nice for his date with her at 380 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:34.160 the Enchanted Island Ballroom. So we cut inside the ballroom to another wonderful set. 381 00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:37.480 Yeah, it's like so they constantly have the one set, which is 382 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.079 the garage, and then they have some giant second other set where they turn 383 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.920 into everything and it always looks amazing, which is just what they do again. 384 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:51.759 Here it's tremendous. There's chandeliers, there's a mirror ball, there's a 385 00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:56.480 bandstand with a full band performing, there's tables surrounding a big dance floor. 386 00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:03.519 It's the works. It's as good as the reunion set that we saw back 387 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.839 in the high school reunion episode. It's to your point that you made in 388 00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:12.359 that episode. It just feels like it goes on forever, and there's people, 389 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:17.119 like almost seems like there's people coming from room to room. It looks 390 00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:22.440 very very well lived in and very well appointed, as you'd expect a place 391 00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:27.359 called the Enchanted Island Ballroom to look. So they go inside once again. 392 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:33.759 Alex is immediately uncomfortable. He's wearing his sport coat, which is funny enough. 393 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.839 It's a little small, which they make reference to later, but I 394 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:41.039 don't know if you noticed. It actually is legitimately too small for Reager. 395 00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:45.480 Oh, I noticed it right away. The cuffs are just like halfway up 396 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:48.519 as far arm. His arms look huge in this thing. Even though he's 397 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:52.599 apprehensive, D puts some at ease by starting to gossip about the various folks 398 00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:57.039 that are there. It's kind of a reverse of when D visited him in 399 00:29:57.079 --> 00:30:03.200 the garage, because it seems like, based on their conversations, he knows 400 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:06.279 everybody that's in this place the way she describes them, like, Oh, 401 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:10.279 there's this such and such and they've had so many facelifts. And he said, 402 00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:11.640 Oh, I feel like I know all these people, So it's kind 403 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:17.079 of nice. D meets up with an elderly suitor. She meets up with 404 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:21.519 Harry Wellman I believe his name is in the episode, played by Herb Vigren, 405 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:27.640 who keen eyed and television obsessed children of the nineteen seventies should remember from 406 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:32.759 one of the absolute best episodes of The Brady Bunch first season episode when it 407 00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:37.240 was weird, it was just they were all straight little fifties clones. Like 408 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:41.759 somehow in the late nineteen sixties that was fifty four to forty and fight. 409 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:45.799 Remember it's the one with they were collecting all of the stamps from the from 410 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:49.440 the grocery stars. Oh, you're right right, And then they they find 411 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:52.079 out that the trading stamps are all going to expire and they need to be 412 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:56.759 used, so they combine them all together and it's a winner lose winner, 413 00:30:56.839 --> 00:31:00.359 take all things that they build a house of cards. The cards. Yeah, 414 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:04.079 boys versus girls. One of the girls is wearing a bracelet for some 415 00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:08.559 damn reason with a dangly what is she doing anyway? So they win and 416 00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:15.480 then they get to the store which has clearly been like raided and just bombed 417 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:18.119 all day long with people trying to use their trading stamps. The guy they 418 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:22.839 come on, lady, we're already closed. That guy that's him? Wow, 419 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.920 How did I miss that? Because I looked him up because he looked 420 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:33.440 very familiar and aside from he I think he appeared on the Original Superman with 421 00:31:33.559 --> 00:31:37.359 George Reeves. I didn't find a lot. I guess I just didn't look 422 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:42.160 close enough at his IMDb. But that is good sleuthing there. Father Malone, 423 00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:45.519 Well you know, his final role was in Amazon Women on the Moon. 424 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:48.640 Oh who did he play in? Then he was in the Reckless Youth 425 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:52.200 segment. He was just an agent in that at the Finally, I think 426 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:55.559 it was the Joe Dante directed segment with Paul Bartel. Okay, the one 427 00:31:55.559 --> 00:32:00.680 about the STDs. Yeah, they get back, we don't have any sis. 428 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:02.920 That's fantastic. He's great in this too. I mean, he's not 429 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:07.279 in it for much, but it's very cute when he and and d meet 430 00:32:07.400 --> 00:32:12.799 up. While she's talking with this guy, Alex goes to get punch and 431 00:32:12.920 --> 00:32:17.880 who's standing there but this sort of jigglow looking younger guy named Ramone who his 432 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:24.839 shirt is legit opened like past his navel. It's he looks like Tony Manero 433 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:30.839 come to life in JAXI basically a disco freak man, white suit, black 434 00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:35.000 shirt open. He's got the he's got the gold chain with the gold horn 435 00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:38.960 on it. It was a it had to be a big horn because I 436 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:44.000 could make it out even in this standard deaf quality that I'm viewing it on. 437 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:47.720 It's a big horn on that chain. He and Alex get to chatting 438 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:52.440 a little bit and it becomes clear that this guy is essentially he's a boy 439 00:32:52.519 --> 00:32:59.559 toy for one of the other women at this soiree. Ramone is lamenting all 440 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:06.279 the that goes into being essentially a kept man. Ramon kind of implies that 441 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:12.559 Alex is quote on the circuit, which makes Alex very defensive, because again, 442 00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:16.200 through this whole episode, he's been fighting the notion that he's been bought 443 00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:22.440 and paid for by Dee to do her bidding and be her puppet on a 444 00:33:22.440 --> 00:33:25.920 string, if you will. It's all of his fears manifested right here. 445 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:30.920 The jiggelow in front of him with a tacky suit, and the slavish devotion 446 00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:36.519 to money, and the hating his life. Like here he is. Here's 447 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:39.359 what I'm going to be. It's the last temptation of Alex Rieger. Yeah. 448 00:33:39.400 --> 00:33:43.559 Initially, when he's talking to this guy, he's just humoring them and 449 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:47.200 he's having fun. He's not taking any of this seriously until, as you 450 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:53.279 said, he starts to recognize that, well, here is his nightmare manifest 451 00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:57.839 right here. This is the guy. This is what he didn't want to 452 00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:01.200 face up to the fact he's becoming this. Ramone d walks over to Alex 453 00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:07.719 and she asks for one dance, and you know he Alex puts away this 454 00:34:07.800 --> 00:34:12.880 apprehension and decides to have a dance with her, and it's a very charming 455 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:15.639 little bit of physical comedy. They have a sweet little dance. The two 456 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:21.840 of them returned to Dee's apartment and Alex walks her to her door. We 457 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:28.599 learned that Alex won the rumba contest at the at the ballroom. Kashmir coach 458 00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:31.679 sure does come in handy and fit an entire trophy in one of those pockets. 459 00:34:31.719 --> 00:34:36.800 But d it contends that she wanted and she was carrying Alex. I'm 460 00:34:36.800 --> 00:34:39.840 guessing that's true. Probably, I think somebody with possessed for life that she 461 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:44.320 has is probably a really good dancer. Well, plus, they're at an 462 00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:47.719 old folk song when they're not giving it to Reagor. Yeah, but so 463 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:52.639 they wouldn't give it to Ramon and his date. You don't think they would 464 00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:55.239 give it to them, but they're not giving it to him. Good point. 465 00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.960 At this point, Alex, he just can't go on, and he 466 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:05.559 says that they have to call this arrangement off. This has been preying on 467 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:08.239 his mind. He just wants to get it out in the open. They 468 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:13.960 can still see each other occasionally, but he just doesn't want any more business 469 00:35:13.960 --> 00:35:17.199 with the money. It just makes him too uncomfortable, unexpectedly callous. However, 470 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:23.039 Dee says, well, that's goodbye. I guess Alex is incredulous, 471 00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:27.199 as any of us would be, and she replies, well, it just 472 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:32.119 wouldn't be the same without the money, which again is harsh, but then 473 00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:36.760 she explains a little bit her reasoning, Yeah, I was hoping it was 474 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:39.280 going to be a kink of hers, like I need to pay my friends. 475 00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:43.840 It's just listen, I'm old enough in my life to know what I 476 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:47.480 like, and really it gets me off to know that as much fun as 477 00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:52.039 you had today, I made it happen. Okay, are we good? 478 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:58.360 Then? That would be one thing, but it's not that it's I control 479 00:35:58.440 --> 00:36:02.000 people through money. It's kind of weird, but yeah. She gives Alex 480 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:08.719 this her calculus around why money is better than friendship. That's central thesis in 481 00:36:08.840 --> 00:36:15.000 her presentation here. She says that people spend their whole lives raising children that 482 00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:20.760 never come to see them. If she had kids, she says, she'd 483 00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:23.400 put them on her payroll, so you can bet that they'd come to see 484 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:31.559 her, and in that moment, I almost can feel some desperation behind her 485 00:36:31.639 --> 00:36:38.719 wall of money and charm and zeal and all of it. She's genuinely afraid 486 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:44.679 to be alone. She has the money now, she's rich, so she 487 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:50.480 has the facility and the resources to have anyone at her back and call, 488 00:36:51.639 --> 00:36:54.599 because that's what she needs. She's a lonely person and she's afraid that will 489 00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:58.480 all go away she doesn't have the money. I don't know, that was 490 00:36:58.519 --> 00:37:01.239 my impression. What did you think, attom alone. I think that's a 491 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:06.159 decent interpretation of it. But at the same time, you think that people 492 00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:10.239 who have too much money and their complaint is always I don't know if this 493 00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:15.880 person has affection for me or is just trying to get what I have. 494 00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:19.559 And she's saying, I don't give a shit if I have their affection. 495 00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:23.800 I just want them there and I'll pay them to do it. And that's 496 00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:29.440 such a weird thing to take away from your newfound wealth. But I think 497 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:32.079 that's also much more human and relatable. And I'm not suggesting. Look, 498 00:37:32.119 --> 00:37:36.639 I don't I'm not rich, and I'm not in a position where I can 499 00:37:36.679 --> 00:37:42.239 treat people the way that d does. But I could see somebody who's reached 500 00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:45.760 a point in their life where they don't want to deal with bullshit. They 501 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:50.360 just want people there when she wants them there, And she knows that her 502 00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:55.400 money is the easiest avenue to that. It doesn't matter how charming or witty 503 00:37:55.920 --> 00:38:00.639 or funny or all of that. Knows that, Hey, if I flash 504 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:04.920 some money at you, keep you on the payroll, then you'll be there 505 00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:07.280 when I want you to be there, you know, no questions asked. 506 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:13.639 I think that's very human true, and it's ultimately proven right because this is 507 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:20.760 her only appearance and we never see her again. So this is a life 508 00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:24.199 lesson for Alex Rieger here anyway, she still tries to give him cash and 509 00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:31.159 Riager angrily refuses, and he complains that he feels used that they were friends, 510 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:36.679 but now she sees him as a piece of merchandise, and he finally 511 00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:39.840 says to her, look, I don't like you anymore. It's kind of 512 00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:46.079 a heavy moment in the episode. Remember when that sentiment was powerful, Like 513 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:52.639 now, even the word love has been so overused and commercialized it's basically meaningless. 514 00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:54.440 People say it about their breakfast, ere I love this, or really 515 00:38:54.440 --> 00:38:57.599 you're in love with that, do you feel a genuine need? You couldn't 516 00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:00.000 live without it, You would rather die, You would put your life down 517 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:04.960 to preserve your cereal. But there did seem to be a time where just 518 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:08.599 the very notion of liking another person could be devastating if that were taken away 519 00:39:08.599 --> 00:39:13.000 from you, And it's certainly on display here, and for a moment there, 520 00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:20.599 you there's something that kind of plays across D's face where she almost appears 521 00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:24.360 hurt by his words that he doesn't like her anymore, because it's clear that 522 00:39:24.519 --> 00:39:31.079 de lives for people to like her and have fun in her presence. So 523 00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:36.559 for a moment there, you think that it's all going to crash down for 524 00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:43.800 her, But she replies, as only Ruth Gordon can a horse manure you 525 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:46.480 love me? All he can do is laugh because she's got him. Yes, 526 00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:52.559 she has a messed up relationship with money and friendship, but I mean, 527 00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:55.280 what are you gonna do? I mean that she's an old woman, 528 00:39:55.400 --> 00:40:00.280 she doesn't have very long to live. He's not gonna change her. So 529 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:01.519 all they can do is kind of laugh and say, yeah, you're right, 530 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:05.440 I still love you. What am I going to do? She's proven 531 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:08.199 right once again. But she asks if they can still have lunch together, 532 00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:13.519 and Alex insists yes, but only if I pay. She has this look 533 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:15.079 on her face like, oh, all right, and then as she's unlocking 534 00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:20.480 her door, she kind of mutters, I just hope my stomach can take 535 00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:23.960 those dumps that you can afford. In her eyes, Alex is a poor 536 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:29.480 person. Also. At one point she says, you know, Alex, 537 00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:34.199 for a younger guy, you could be a real drip. And that seems 538 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:37.559 affectionate as well, it doesn't it. Yeah, Yeah, she's right, 539 00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:42.760 Alex can be a bit of a downer sometimes. Yeah, but I think 540 00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:46.199 drip isn't That's not a harsh and salt. Even under the worst of circumstances 541 00:40:46.199 --> 00:40:51.079 that you're just telling someone that they're kind of stuffy. I think someone from 542 00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:53.440 Ruth to Gordon's generation would disagree with you. I bet calling somebody a drip 543 00:40:53.480 --> 00:40:57.360 would be akin to calling someone an asshole. You know what, You're a 544 00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:00.719 real drip. HP, You're a real drip. Now go get me a 545 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:06.000 phosphate. Okay, So then an exit d and the episode is effectively over. 546 00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:09.480 We're going to get to the portion of the episode where we talk about 547 00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:14.320 yellow lights. What doesn't all light mean? To remind the audience, we 548 00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:17.880 score on a scale of one to five yellow lights, no half lights. 549 00:41:19.079 --> 00:41:23.159 It has to be on the whole. One yellow light is This is an 550 00:41:23.159 --> 00:41:29.880 example of the worst Taxi has to offer. Five yellow lights. This is 551 00:41:29.920 --> 00:41:35.280 the quintessential best episode that Taxi can offer, as we do every week. 552 00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:37.719 I'm going to give it to you, follom alone. What do you give 553 00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:42.800 this episode, sugar Mama? How many yellow lights? It can't be five. 554 00:41:42.840 --> 00:41:45.840 It's not quintessential. It doesn't have enough of the rest of the cast. 555 00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:51.440 I do think this is a quintessential guest spot episode of Taxi. I 556 00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:53.559 think the writing is there. I think the performances are there. I think 557 00:41:53.599 --> 00:42:00.000 the direction clearly is there. It can't be five. It's not perfect. 558 00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:04.000 It is a four. However, this is as close as you can get 559 00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:07.199 if we had maybe a B plot going on. There's no room for the 560 00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:09.920 B plot. See that's the thing. But had they included a decent B 561 00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:15.920 plot, it would easily be a five. I struggled with this because my 562 00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:19.519 initial gut reaction was this, of course, this is a five yellow light 563 00:42:19.559 --> 00:42:30.239 episode because you have Ruth Gordon in this incredible role of d She makes everything 564 00:42:30.280 --> 00:42:32.559 better just being a part of it, and it's wonderfully written. There's some 565 00:42:32.599 --> 00:42:37.719 great moments between her and Alex and so forth. We've talked about all of 566 00:42:37.719 --> 00:42:43.760 that. But so the episode itself is absolutely charming and Gordon is incredible in 567 00:42:43.800 --> 00:42:47.559 it. But I can't mark it as quintessential because for me, one of 568 00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:52.880 the big criteria, which I've brought up in the past is it can only 569 00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:58.159 for me. It can only be truly quintessential if it involves the larger ensemble 570 00:42:58.320 --> 00:43:01.320 being involved in some way, shape or four. That to me, is 571 00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:07.280 a big part of what makes it an essential Taxi episode. So I can't 572 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:09.159 give it five yellow lights, just like you, father Malone. But I 573 00:43:09.199 --> 00:43:14.360 am going to give it four yellow lights. It's as close as you can 574 00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:17.880 get to five yellow lights. Just didn't quite get there. There were a 575 00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:22.400 few elements missing from the episode, but that's okay. This is an episode 576 00:43:22.400 --> 00:43:28.280 that I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone and everyone to seek out. It's beautiful, 577 00:43:28.360 --> 00:43:31.320 it's a wonderful episode. You can't go wrong with it. But if Ailires 578 00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:37.159 came down and asked me what the platonic ideal of a taxi episode is this 579 00:43:37.239 --> 00:43:39.000 would not be the one I would give them. We have yet to find 580 00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:44.199 that episode, but I promise you we will find it sooner than we think. 581 00:43:44.360 --> 00:43:47.320 It's going to be the one where John Burns finally reveals himself and Destroysunshine 582 00:43:47.360 --> 00:43:51.360 Cab and disappears. I think it's the finale. It could very well be. 583 00:43:51.679 --> 00:43:53.760 It'll be like kind of like a Who Shot Jr? Like what's going 584 00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:58.079 to happen in the next season? Will the Cab company be burnt to the 585 00:43:58.079 --> 00:44:04.920 ground? Is Burn's the key master, Tornardo's gatekeeper of Gozer? Is there 586 00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:08.320 something going on here? Maybe that feeds into Ghostbusters? Who knows? Wow, 587 00:44:08.519 --> 00:44:10.800 now that image is in my head. I think Marilyn Henner could have 588 00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:15.440 given Sigourney we Ever a run for that role. Could be, could be 589 00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:20.840 that'll do it for this particular episode of night Mister Walters, Father Malone, 590 00:44:21.159 --> 00:44:25.079 when you're not clocked into the garage, where can our listeners find you? 591 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:30.000 Head over to father Malone dot com or for podcasts galore, or go to 592 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:34.400 Weirdingwaymedia dot com. You'll not only find the stuff I do, You'll find 593 00:44:34.599 --> 00:44:37.559 a lot of stuff others do like the Projection Booth by Mike White, or 594 00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:42.559 the Culture cast was Chris Stash or Twisted It and uncorked It's a True Crime 595 00:44:42.599 --> 00:44:45.199 one. Those are all really good. As for me, check out my 596 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:50.199 show Midnight Viewing the Night Gallery podcast about Rod Serling's follow up to The Twilight 597 00:44:50.280 --> 00:44:54.519 Zone Night Gallery. I am also found in many of the same places as 598 00:44:54.559 --> 00:44:59.559 Father Malone as far as being part of the weirding Way network. As he 599 00:44:59.559 --> 00:45:02.000 said, you can and find me on the Noise Junkies music podcast, which 600 00:45:02.079 --> 00:45:07.039 I'm very proud of. I would also encourage you to seek out the Dark 601 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:12.960 Destinations podcast. It's my favorite, not just because I've been involved in some 602 00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:16.800 music and some other things. I think it's a genuinely exciting listen and well 603 00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:21.119 worth your time. You can also find me. I have a band camp 604 00:45:21.159 --> 00:45:23.719 site, which you can find the address for in the description of this episode. 605 00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:28.519 Check that out for a couple of album's worth of musical nonsense from yours 606 00:45:28.519 --> 00:45:30.840 truly, Thank you again so much for listening. If I could just ask 607 00:45:30.920 --> 00:45:37.719 if you've enjoyed this episode, please feel free to like us, subscribe to 608 00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:43.119 the podcast, or write a review, or just us send us any messages 609 00:45:43.159 --> 00:45:45.800 you'd like. We'd love to hear from you guys what you like about the 610 00:45:45.840 --> 00:45:49.320 show and what you'd like to see in future episodes. That'd be fantastic, 611 00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:53.639 so please feel free to contact us in the manner that you choose. From 612 00:45:53.639 --> 00:46:00.000 myself HP and from Father Malone, thank you again for listening, and we'll 613 00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:06.519 I'll see you next time on night, mister Walters. Good night, night, 614 00:46:06.599 --> 00:46:15.480 mister Walters. HM