25 Years and What Do You Get?

25 Years and What Do You Get? was the 17th episode in Season 9 of Married... with Children, and was also the 200th overall (the episode "Special: The Best of Bundy" is actually billed as the 200th). Directed by Sam W. Orender and written by Donald Beck episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on February 12, 1995.

Synopsis

In this episode, Buck buries the 25th wedding anniversary present that Al bought for Peggy in the backyard, and Al, Bud and Kelly spend hours digging in hopes of finding it. Marcy buys an all-day massage package for Peg as a gift and Peg spends all of Al's gift-money in the beauty shop. As both fail to get gifts, they pretend that they both forgot that its their anniversary.

Storyline

On their 25th wedding anniversary, Peggy goes out with Marcy to a posh health spa where Peggy gets coned out of all her money by a gift shop employee selling cheap beauty items. Meanwhile, Al is in trouble when the old and senile Buck buries in the back yard the anniversary gift necklace he plans to give Peggy, which prompts him, Bud and Kelly to literally dig up the entire back yard looking for the necklace.

Recurring Cast/Regulars

• Amanda Bearse as Marcy D'Arcy
• Ted McGinley as Jefferson D'Arcy
• Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy

Guest starring

• Marty Rackham as Dave
• John LeFleur as Sven (as John Robert LeFleur)
• David Drummond as Chance

Notes

Title

• The episode title is a play on the lyrics "You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt" from the song "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford as well as Al and Peggy celebrating 25 years of marriage.
  • This episode share a similar title origin with the season 1 episode, "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get?"

Trivia

• At one point, Al comes home with a jacket that reads "Farquhar's Formals" on the back. This is a nod to Ralph R. Farquhar, who has served as producer, writer, and executive story editor for the series.
• Besides the title, the episode share the same topic as the season 1 episode, "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get?", in that Al and Peggy celebrate their wedding anniversary and they also try to get each other a special gift, but things do not go as planned.

Cultural References

• Marcy boasted that she is taking Peggy to "Antoine's Under the El". The "L" (or EL, as both mean "Elevated") refers to the Chicago rapid transit line, while saying "Under the L" may imply that it is located in a poor area.
  • Al had previously mentioned that the family would have to sleep under the L in the season 2 "You Better Watch Out".
• Bud sees Al in a rented tuxedo whose legs are too short and asks: "Did it come with the matching Urkel glasses?", making a reference to Steve Urkel, from the ABC sitcom, Family Matters and his typical nerdy fashion.
• After showing off what he was able to buy after getting a cheap tuxedo, Bud comments on the "Hairy Abba-Zaba". Abba-Zaba is a brand of candy made from taffy with a peanut butter center.
• Al mentions that he will be taking Peggy to the family restaurant/diner Denny's for their anniversary.
• Al also mentions that he will be giving Peggy a "NyQuil Mickey" slipped into her piña colada so he can have the rest of the night to himself and watch midget wrestling
  • A "Mickey" (short for "Mickey Finn") refers to a drink that has been laced with either a psychoactive or incapacitating drug and given to an unsuspecting person.
  • In this case, Al mentions that he will be mixing it with NyQuil, which is the name brand of a nighttime cold and cough medicine with ingredients that can make people drowsy and fall asleep faster.
  • Midget wrestling was mentioned in season One's "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get" part of the original plan for the anniversary evening when Peggy tells Steve and Marcy of their plans in that episode.
• Several products that Dave sells to Peggy are named after celebrities and food products:
  • Margaret Cho Chin Wrap
  • Tommy Lee Jones Crater Spackle
  • Famous Amos Facial Disks
  • Baby Ruth Body Balm
• Peggy gives Chance $5 dollars and tells him to go buy himself some Pogs. Pogs is the commercialized name used for a children's game originally known as "Milk Caps" that originated in Hawaii. At the time this episode was filmed, there was a big craze for Pogs among children in the mainland U.S., but eventually faded out of popularity by the late 1990s.

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• Antoine's Under The EL

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• Bundy Backyard
• Antoine's Under The El Waiting Area / Gift Shop

Goofs

• Although it is supposed to be their 25th wedding anniversary in this episode, this would contradict the season 6 episode, "My Dinner with Anthrax", where they claimed it is their 20th anniversary. That episode takes place in 1992, three years before this episode was filmed. It would also contradict the season 1 episode, "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get?" which took place in 1987.
  • For them to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 1995, that would mean that they married in 1970, but "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get" showed that they married in 1971 and "My Dinner with Anthrax" would have meant that they married in 1972.
• Katey Sagal's real hair starts to peek out from the Peggy bouffant wig during the spa scenes.