The second half of "Married" continues with David Banner and hypnotherapist Caroline Fields attempting to conquer the respective physical conditions that plague them. After a rather campy sequence in which Banner hulks out to rescue Caroline from a couple of swingers (wrecking their bachelor pad in the process), the two come to realize their growing feelings for each other and enjoy a night of love. The next morning, in a scene exquisitely played by Bill Bixby and Mariette Hartley, Banner proposes marriage to the ailing Fields, and in no time the couple are enjoying a garden nuptial (look closely and you'll see Banner signed his real name on the marriage license! -- Attention Jack McGee!) But, as happens so often to David Banner, a confluence of circumstances intrude on the newlyweds. Caroline's condition begins to deteriorate after she exerts herself saving a young boy from drowning; Caroline finds it may not be easy living with a man who can transform into an angry green beast in his sleep; worst of all, her illness reaches critical mass just as a hurricane slams into their Hawaiian island.
The second half of "Married" is buoyed tremendously by the fine writing and direction of Kenneth Johnson and the performances of his two stars. Hartley makes Caroline Fields into a complete person, noble in her warmth, rash in her impulsiveness, vulnerable in her anguish. This talented actress definitely deserved the Emmy Award she earned for this performance. For his part, Bixby knew he was working with a real pro, and he provides his best acting chops here as well, when he playfully flirts with Caroline, while delivering the memorable 'strawberry' soliloquy, and during the show's moving epilogue, as Banner sits alone on a debris strewn beach.
Lou Ferrigno's contribution as the Hulk deserves an affirmative comment as well; he always brought more depth and emotion to the Hulk character than he was given credit for, and his reaction when he unwittingly pulls the toupee off of one the attacking 'Disco Dans' is priceless. Was the humor in that scene a little silly or over-the-top? Maybe, but perhaps it was needed to balance the poignancy that was to come. All of the buildup pays off here, and this episode, part of a series dismissed by some as simple comic book melodrama, delivers a climax that still renders an emotional punch to the gut.
The second half of "Married" is buoyed tremendously by the fine writing and direction of Kenneth Johnson and the performances of his two stars. Hartley makes Caroline Fields into a complete person, noble in her warmth, rash in her impulsiveness, vulnerable in her anguish. This talented actress definitely deserved the Emmy Award she earned for this performance. For his part, Bixby knew he was working with a real pro, and he provides his best acting chops here as well, when he playfully flirts with Caroline, while delivering the memorable 'strawberry' soliloquy, and during the show's moving epilogue, as Banner sits alone on a debris strewn beach.
Lou Ferrigno's contribution as the Hulk deserves an affirmative comment as well; he always brought more depth and emotion to the Hulk character than he was given credit for, and his reaction when he unwittingly pulls the toupee off of one the attacking 'Disco Dans' is priceless. Was the humor in that scene a little silly or over-the-top? Maybe, but perhaps it was needed to balance the poignancy that was to come. All of the buildup pays off here, and this episode, part of a series dismissed by some as simple comic book melodrama, delivers a climax that still renders an emotional punch to the gut.