Season One
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Season One
Episode 7: "The Shower"
First aired October 21, 1974
Writers: Gail Parent
Director: Robert Moore
Cast: Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern, Julie Kavner as Brenda
Morgenstern, David Groh as Joe Gerard, Linda Lavin as Linda Monroe, Beverly Sanders as
Susan Alborn, Barbara Sharma as Myrna Morgenstein, Millie Slavin as Jeanette Lamont,
Phyllis Glick as Ellen, Florida Friebus as Harriet, L. Music as Carlton the Doorman
Special Guest Stars:
Linda Lavin, who played Rhoda's nemesis Linda Monroe, first met Valerie Harper in 1966
when they were both members of the Second City theater troupe (as was Richard Schaal). In
1995 Valerie replaced Linda in "Death Defying Acts." Lavin is best known
to classic TV buffs as the title character from the show 'Alice.'
Florida Friebus had a regular role on 'The Bob Newhart Show' as a member of Bob's group (the ever-knitting Mrs. Bakerman) and also played Dobie Gillis' mom on 'Dobie Gillis.'
Nick at Nite fans may remember Barbara Sharma as a regular on the late sixties-early seventies show 'Laugh In.'
TMTMS roots:
Barbara Sharma, Beverly Sanders and Florida Friebus all previously guest starred on TMTMS;
among them, Sanders was the only one to play a recurring role (Rayette the waitress).
Memorable Quotes:
Rhoda: "What did you do after high school?"
Myrna: "I went right home."
Myrna: "I always had cats, I never liked them."
How we rate it:
Sarah: 9
Suzie: 9
The Short Version: Brenda throws Rhoda a wedding shower, inviting the girl that made Rhoda's life hell back in high school.
The Long Version: Brenda, tortured by picking out the perfect gift for Rho, decides to throw her a shower. Rho thinks its a bad idea; she thinks she's too old and people will make fun of her. Unfortunately, Bren already sent out invitations to all the girls that signed Rhoda's year book, including Linda, who stole one of Rho's boyfriends. Of the guests Myrna, the class secretary tells us Rhoda's the last to get married, 'Easy' Susie shows up thinking it's a baby shower, Harriet doesn't even know Rhoda, and Linda turns out to be the same *witch* she always was. Linda is mean to Brenda, and steals the spotlight by telling everyone how rich she is. She reveals that Rhoda tried out for cheerleader didn't get picked because she couldn't 'Boom-a-lacka.' Rhoda stands up to her and tries to kick her out, but she won't leave... until Rhoda reveals that Linda never took her gym clothes home to wash. When Linda leaves, she (accidentally) takes Harriet's gift instead of her own back. After its all over, Brenda thanks Rhoda for defending her.
The gifts: Susie brings diapers, Harriet brings a lavender sachet, Linda brings sterling silver ice tongs from Tiffany's, Bren's gift is the shower, and Ellen's is the photos of the shower.
Firsts:
First use of a freeze frame, which is also used in episode 8.
First appearances of Barbara Sharma and Beverly Sanders as Myrna Morgenstein and Susan
Alborn, they each appeared 7 times total during the series. Their only other appearance
together is in episode 39, "A Night with the Girls."
First mention of Susie's nickname from high school ('Easy' Susie.) She is pregnant in this
episode with her fifth child.
First reference to and only appearance of Brenda's friend Ellen. She is mentioned again in
episode 12.
Although it was mentioned quite often in TMTMS, this is the first time during the run of
'Rhoda' that we hear about Rhoda's failed attempt at being a high school cheerleader.
Incidentally, Ida also tried out for cheerleader when she was in high school, but
unlike Rhoda, she made the squad.
This is the first time that we see Brenda drunk.
First time Rhoda mentions that she is taking The Pill.
First mention of Brenda's age (21).
First mention that Rhoda is a member of the class of '59.
There is a picture of Joe on Rhoda's bedside table, which we see for the first time in this episode and will never see again. Likewise, Joe has picture of Rhoda in his office, which we see it for the first time in episode 17.
What We Noticed:
Brenda and Rhoda's imitations of people hearing about Rhoda's shower and imminent wedding are terrific!
We hear a loud honking laughter in the background, identified as the producer of the series, James L.Brooks. He also appears in episode 9, 'Rhoda's Wedding' (part two.)
Fashions of the Decade
Brenda wears a floral print dress with an empire bodice, a popular fashion in 1973. Also of note: Bren's wild red, white, and blue jumpsuit. Jumpsuits were much more popular in the late sixties and seventies than they are now.
Obscure References:
Brenda:"What was considered heavy petting in those days?"
Rhoda: "When you came home with less angora than you started with."
During the 50's, angora and mohair sweaters were quite popular with teenage girls.
Heavy petting was considered to be the farthest most girls would go before marriage then.
Carlton: "There's a lady downstairs to see you..."
Brenda: "Who is she?"
Carlton: "I dunno, but she's wearing a black hat."
Rhoda: "It's either Linda or Billy Jack."
Billy Jack was the title character from a series of three films in the seventies:
"Billy Jack" (1971), "The Trial of Billy Jack" (1974), and "Billy
Jack Goes to Washington" (1977). Played by Tom Laughlin, the title character
was a half-white half-Native American ex-Green Beret who fought corruption, small
mindedness, and injustice with karate. He wore a black hat.
Right before Linda shows up, Rhoda touches her head and says something like 'here.' We aren't sure, but it could be connected to the following scene in the movie 'Billy Jack.' (as described by Pagan Kennedy in the book 'Platforms'):
"Some of the students [of Billy Jack's 'freedom school'] go into an ice-cream store, only to be harassed by local bigots. Billy Jack comes to the kids' rescue, first stroking the head of a Native American child and then saying in a dangerously calm voice, 'The kids at the school tell me that I'm supposed to control my violent temper and be passive and nonviolent like they are... but I just go BERSERK.' With this he erupts into a righteous frenzy, pitching a bad white guy through a plate glass window."
70's Trendy Topics:
Sex and Birth Control:
Jeanette [to Rhoda]: "I jog 5 miles every day, eat only organic foods, and have sex
on a regular basis, and everything's been just great since my divorce." Rhoda takes
this matter-of-factly. It's not strange to her that the now-unmarried Jeanette is
having sex.
Susie asks Rhoda what kind of birth control she uses, and assumes that Rhoda must be pregnant to get married at her age, inferring that Rhoda's been having premarital sex.
Susie: I brought you diapers and a teething ring....
Rhoda: Oh, Susie... you're gonna need these before I do.
Susie: Uh, Rhoda, what kind of birth control are you using?
Rhoda: Oh, the Pill.
Susie: That's what I use!
The birth control pill was only a recent development, and was considered to be one of the
contributing factors in the Sexual Revolution of the late sixties, however, about three
percent of typical users of the pill become pregnant within the first year of use.
FDA approval of the Pill occured in 1960, despite the fact that the pill had not been adequately tested or studied. Back in those days, the medical establishment was eager to release new products too quickly. and not to 'hold back progress.' The early Pill contained a much higher dose of estrogen than today's Pill, and medical literature from as early as 1962 pointed out that there were indeed risks associated with taking it. By the late sixites, women and consumer activists led to changes in the Pill's makeup and eventually, in 1978, to a requirement for a package insert detailing the risks of taking the Pill. For a whole lot more information on Birth control, get a hold of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective's ''Our Bodies, Our Selves."
Episode 13, "I'm a Little Late, Folks," also deals with the issue of birth control.
What's Going On
10/17/74 Olivia Newton-John’s "If You Love Me, Let Me Know" is the
#1 album.
10/19/74 Billy Preston’s "Nothing From Nothing" is the #1 pop
single.
Help Us Out
If you can tell us a little more about the sign/gesture that Rhoda makes right before Linda comes in (associated with Billy Jack?), we would be very grateful.