Kind of an odd episode. A 'tomboy'ish girl completely acts and dresses like a boy and goes by "Mike"...until Katie intervenes. Gender-bending in the late 60s. Today, Katie would be criticized for not allowing "Mike" to identify. As much as I like Katie, I think this show 'jumped the shark' when they moved from Bryant Park and Rob and Katie got married only a couple of weeks after the season started. The actress who played "Mike" is the daughter of a guest actor on the show. Her lack of experience as an actress completely shows.
3 Reviews
Ernie's New Friend
sambase-3877330 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is kind of entertaining, but something about it doesn't feel quite right. I can't put my finger on it.
The youngest boy, Ernie, doesn't have any friends since moving to California. While he's at school another boy, Mike, says he wants to throw rocks at Ernie. Ernie is so desperate for friends that he agrees to let the other boy throw rocks at him. They go over to Earnie's house and one of the rocks breaks the kitchen window. This angers Uncle Charlie and he yells at the boy. Then, a little while later, they all find out that Mike is a girl. He's a girl. Or she's a girl. Or something.
By now, everybody is totally confused, including me. So Robbie, the oldest boy of the family, goes to Mike's house to see what's going on. He meets the girls father and sees that he treats his daughter exactly like a boy. Robbie concludes that this is the problem.
Later, when Mike starts asking Katie, who is Robbie's wife, how to be a girl, she teaches him - I mean her - how to be a girl. And then Mike and Ernie go to a dance together, with Mike wearing a fancy, fluffy dress. And Earnie thinks that's pretty cool.
I'm getting confused just writing this review! But, like I said, it's kind of entertaining. It's just kind of weird, too. Especially the part about throwing rocks.
By the way, a kid once threw a rock at me in the 4th grade and hit me right on the head. I almost blacked out as blood dripped onto the playground at my feet. The spot where he hit me is still sore to this day. It feels like there is some kind of serious internal damage that hasn't healed all these decades later. Do NOT throw rocks, kids!
The youngest boy, Ernie, doesn't have any friends since moving to California. While he's at school another boy, Mike, says he wants to throw rocks at Ernie. Ernie is so desperate for friends that he agrees to let the other boy throw rocks at him. They go over to Earnie's house and one of the rocks breaks the kitchen window. This angers Uncle Charlie and he yells at the boy. Then, a little while later, they all find out that Mike is a girl. He's a girl. Or she's a girl. Or something.
By now, everybody is totally confused, including me. So Robbie, the oldest boy of the family, goes to Mike's house to see what's going on. He meets the girls father and sees that he treats his daughter exactly like a boy. Robbie concludes that this is the problem.
Later, when Mike starts asking Katie, who is Robbie's wife, how to be a girl, she teaches him - I mean her - how to be a girl. And then Mike and Ernie go to a dance together, with Mike wearing a fancy, fluffy dress. And Earnie thinks that's pretty cool.
I'm getting confused just writing this review! But, like I said, it's kind of entertaining. It's just kind of weird, too. Especially the part about throwing rocks.
By the way, a kid once threw a rock at me in the 4th grade and hit me right on the head. I almost blacked out as blood dripped onto the playground at my feet. The spot where he hit me is still sore to this day. It feels like there is some kind of serious internal damage that hasn't healed all these decades later. Do NOT throw rocks, kids!
Is The End in Sight?
janet-conant19 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
No, this series kept on and on and on. I've seen this before and still think it is so wacky. Imagine agreeing to let some kid throw rocks at your head for fun? That Mike is a juvenile delinquent and they call what he-she does childish pranks. Right, throwing an explosive into a vase in someone's house is a prank? Even Uncle Charlie caves when he finds out Mike is a girl. Doesn't anyone think her behavior is dangerous?
Most of this crazy episode is filler, trying to get Ernie to play with this kid, Katie et al using psychology on Mike and calling the bumbling father for advice while on a business trip. Yes Steve Douglas was a strange father.
When Mike appears at the door all dressed up with bows, frills and white gloves to go to a dance with 4 eyes it's like did I miss something? I wanted to rate one star.
Most of this crazy episode is filler, trying to get Ernie to play with this kid, Katie et al using psychology on Mike and calling the bumbling father for advice while on a business trip. Yes Steve Douglas was a strange father.
When Mike appears at the door all dressed up with bows, frills and white gloves to go to a dance with 4 eyes it's like did I miss something? I wanted to rate one star.
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